Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed grave concern over what he described as a growing sense of hopelessness among young Nigerians, particularly in light of economic hardship, electoral fraud, and persistent governance failures.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Atiku lamented the increasing disillusionment of the country’s youth and urged them not to disengage from the democratic process. He emphasised that meaningful change cannot occur through apathy, especially when voter turnout continues to hover between 25% and 30% in each election cycle.
“I am extremely concerned at how young Nigerians are losing hope about the future of our country,” the former Vice President wrote. “Every time they come to have a conversation with me about bad governance, fraudulent elections, and the resultant hardship being faced by citizens, I deeply feel sad about the situation.”
Atiku disclosed that he had recently met with a delegation of youths from across the 19 Northern states, led by Alhaji Adamu Bappa Gombe. According to him, the group expressed frustration with the current state of affairs, citing the ineffectiveness of past votes and the adverse impact of governmental policies on their livelihoods and private enterprises.
In response, Atiku said he encouraged the young leaders not to give up on Nigeria. He called on them to play a proactive role in shaping the country’s future through civic engagement and voter mobilisation.
“I reminded them that the change they desire cannot be attained by voter apathy and that 25% to 30% voter turnout in every election cycle is not encouraging. I challenged them to make a huge difference by influencing massive participation in 2027,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to democratic values, Atiku added, “On our part, we shall not relent until Nigeria is recovered from anti-democratic forces.”
The remarks come amid heightened political uncertainty and growing calls from civil society groups and the international community for reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process and restore public confidence.
As Nigeria approaches another election cycle in 2027, the former Vice President’s comments serve as both a warning and a rallying cry for greater youth involvement in governance and the nation’s democratic journey.
