Nigerian Youth For Atiku (NYFA), a support group of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said that Nigerians would resist all forms of rigging, intimidation and monetary inducement in the 2027 general elections.

The group made this remark in a statement on Wednesday by its Director of Communications (Nigeria and Diaspora), Mr Dare Dada, after the NYFA’s 2025 first strategic meeting in Lagos.

Rising from its first 2025 strategic meeting held at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Dada said that the group appealed to the APC-led government to focus more on policies that could change the obviously needy economy rather than dissipating energies on intimidating or silencing oppositions by way of arrest or insults ahead of the 2027 elections.

He described it as old military tactics that would be vehemently resisted, an alleged effort by the ruling party to silence the opposition parties in the country.

“After a critical review of recent political activities, it has become imperative to emphasise the need for the President and his handlers to deal with the real issues bedevilling the economy rather than going after individuals who are justly voicing out their opinions on matters that are important to our collective destiny.

“The arrest of prominent activist, Omoyele Sowore on trumped-up charges for asking genuine questions about the tenure of an IG who has passed the constitutionally recognized age still leaves, in our mouth, a very sour taste.

“You cannot deliberately extend the tenure of an Inspector General of police till after the 2027 elections when there are other qualified DIGs who could take up the position and expect Nigerians to remain silent,” he said.

According to him, recently, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) made a staggering accusation against the police for extorting the sum of N21.8 billion illegally from the checkpoints in the South East.

Describing such as “absolutely worrisome”, Dada added, “Arresting activists with the aim of keeping them in the gulag till after the 2027 elections will not augur well.”

According to him, employing military tactics under democracy will short-circuit our hard-earned democracy.

He said that if such was allowed to continue history would not speak well of the ruling APC.

Dada said: “Even when there are more damning allegations against the APC-led government, they have continued to chase the chickens instead of confronting the deadly lions of corruption lying in courts.

“Worthy of note of such allegations is former President Atiku Abubakar’s accusation that the Lagos-Calabar coastal road was rushed and did not pass through the normal bidding process.

“The awarding of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was rushed; the environmental impact assessment report was not even completed; the right of way for the 700km stretch of the highway project was not secured; it was converted from a PPP to a government-funded project within a twinkle of an eye.”

He added that it had been further alleged that the N500m initially approved for the environmental impact assessment by the National Assembly for the project was ignored, while over N1tn was released by Tinubu’s administration without recourse to the National Assembly.

The NYFA spokesman said the issues above were very weighty allegations that should have compelled a sitting President to order a full-scale investigation “but this is being treated as business as usual.”

“Yet, the same government is after individuals who are voicing out their dissatisfactions on the policies of government that are injurious to the welfare of the citizens,” he said.

He said that the President was not immune to criticism.

“Rather than focus on self-redemption, the focus has moved, not just to clamping down critics but also sponsoring divisions in oppositions as alleged by the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar that some elements are being paid N50m in the opposition camps to frustrate peace, party loyalty and cause stench divisions that are irreconcilable.

“This allegation has not been disclaimed as of today and the president wants Nigerians to trust him. Trust is earned and not demanded,” he added.

Dada said that the harsh economic conditions allegedly brought about by the hurried removal of fuel subsidies without strategically considering the post-implementation impact and the deliberate devaluation of the naira had thrown an additional 15 million people into abject poverty.

He said that addressing this required more attention now than ever before.

“This act is eliminating the middle class entirely.

“Another issue worthy of note is the student loans that students will be made to repay after graduation in the face of the hopelessness of securing a job after graduation.

“We, as Nigerians, have continued to endure and the government itself cannot deny this.

“We do hope that the two years left of this APC-led administration will be used to try to redeem the public image of a party that has been ruling by division, propaganda and election gangsterism.

“It is expected that a democracy of twenty-six years deserves some level of civility but it is very obvious this is not being championed under the current administration,” Dada said.

Meanwhile, Dada recalled that the group’s principal, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had consistently told Nigerians how he would have handled some of the economic issues differently.

He urged Nigerians to give Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a chance in the 2027 General Elections.

“Atiku Abubakar has consistently told Nigerians how he would have handled some of the issues bordering subsidy removal, floating of exchange rate and student grants differently and it is now left for Nigerians to decide if they wish to continue to let this Tinubu-led government win in 2027.

“However, employing all manners of intimidation synonymous with the military era will not be allowed to surface again under any guise,” he said.

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