Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed a proposal by Senator Abdul Ningi to suspend political campaigns in eight northern states ahead of the 2027 general elections. The affected states are Borno, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and parts of Kano. Senator Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, raised the suggestion during Wednesday's Senate plenary, citing worsening insecurity from insurgency, banditry, and terrorism as threats to electoral integrity. Atiku, now a key figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), called the idea a threat to democratic rights.
In a statement issued Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the right to vote and participate in elections cannot be restricted under any pretext. "Let it be clearly stated: the right to vote and participate in the electoral process is fundamental and cannot be abridged under any guise," he said. He argued that insecurity is a failure of government and should not justify silencing citizens. "You cannot cure insecurity by silencing the voices of the people. Democracy must not become a casualty of government failure," Atiku added.
He warned that policies creating the impression of targeted exclusion would deepen distrust and national division. Atiku stressed that no region should be left out of the electoral process due to the government's inability to secure it. "Nigeria must never descend into a situation where elections are shaped by exclusion, fear, or administrative manipulation," he said.
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