Atiku will genuinely restructure Nigeria if elected — ADC

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar 

As the 2027 general elections in the Country approaches,The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Cross River State chapter, has said that the party will bring genuine restructuring and not bureaucratic expansion,

He described the economic recovery plans of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as a credible alternative to policies it said had placed a heavy burden on Nigerian households, businesses and states.

This was contained in the party’s position in a statement issued on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, in Calabar, as it announced the commencement of its presidential campaign activities in the state.

The ADC said Nigeria could not achieve sustainable prosperity by making citizens poorer, stressing the need to move the economy from import dependence and consumption towards production, manufacturing, job creation and exports.

It also rejected what it described as the Federal Government’s “quiet restructuring”, arguing that the creation of regional development commissions and new federal institutions amounted to an expansion of bureaucracy rather than genuine restructuring.

The party in that statement also added that true restructuring should involve the devolution of powers, a review of the Exclusive Legislative List,

stronger fiscal federalism, greater resource control, state police and constitutional reforms that redistribute political, fiscal and developmental responsibilities.

“Larger allocations from Abuja should not be confused with fiscal federalism,” the ADC said, insisting that states must have greater authority and responsibility to generate, control and invest their resources.

The party also maintained that economic recovery could not succeed amid terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and attacks on livelihoods, calling for greater devolution, improved intelligence coordination and effective community-based policing.

It backed the establishment of state police, provided they operate under professional standards, human-rights safeguards and independent oversight, alongside modern intelligence, forensic and communications systems.

They also linked insecurity to poverty, unemployment, rural underdevelopment and the destruction of livelihoods, arguing that creating economic opportunities should form a central part of Nigeria’s national security strategy.

The party said the choice before Nigerians in the 2027 election was ultimately about the direction of the country, advocating an economy that produces rather than consumes and genuine fiscal autonomy for states.