Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday promised to restore fuel subsidy if elected in 2027 as former Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, formally defected to the ADC in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The rally, which drew hundreds of supporters and party faithful, marked the official movement of Jegede and his loyalists from the PDP to the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking at the event, Atiku said an ADC-led administration would prioritise the restoration of fuel subsidy and tackle insecurity across the country.
“We are committed to restoring subsidy. We are committed to restoring security all over this country. If we are elected, no part of this country would feel insecure anymore,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also criticised the state of the economy, arguing that Nigeria’s position among African economies had declined under the current administration.
“You know what we did between 1999 and 2007. We took Nigeria to be the finest economy in Africa. Today we are number five. Who are responsible for taking us backward? Is it not APC? This is the moment for us to vote them out,” he said.
Atiku further led supporters in chanting “Tinubu must go” and urged ADC members to mobilise voters and protect their votes ahead of future elections.
“You saw what happened in the last election in Osun State, where there was a massive turnout of voters and massive protection of votes. ADC must do the same in every state in Nigeria. We must mobilise our people and ensure that every vote counts. You can see our brother Eyitayo and his associates have joined us today. We’re winning,” he said.
Addressing supporters, Jegede attributed his decision to join the ADC to what he described as worsening economic conditions in the country and the need for a democratic government.
“There is unemployment in Nigeria, you can all see that. There is hardship, you can all see that. The suffering is too much. The journey has begun. We want a democratic government,” he said.
Jegede declared that all his supporters in the PDP had moved with him to the ADC and pledged to work towards the party’s success in the 2027 elections.
“All the PDP members loyal to me have moved to ADC. We are going to mobilise and unite to win come 2027. We are sure of winning Senate, House of Representatives and presidential elections,” he said.
The former PDP governorship candidate urged residents to support the ADC at the polls, insisting that votes would determine the strength of the party.
“It is our vote that will determine the strength of our political party. As we came out today, let’s vote ADC massively,” he added.
The ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, who represented the party’s national chairman, David Mark, at the event, welcomed Jegede and his supporters into the party and described the defection as a major boost to the party in Ondo State.
Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was the PDP governorship candidate in Ondo State in both the 2020 and 2024 governorship elections but lost the two contests.