2027 elections will be “fire for fire,” youth wing says
With INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure ending in December, the youth wing of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is warning President Bola Tinubu not to manipulate the appointment of his successor.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the African Democratic Youth Congress (ADYC) said they’re ready to challenge the ruling APC in the 2027 elections—no matter who heads INEC.
“Even if Tinubu makes his media aide Bayo Onanuga the chairman, we’ll still defeat them,” the group said.
“Bring your money—we’ll collect it and still vote ADC”
Firing up supporters, ADYC leaders claimed that no amount of money will change their resolve.
“They can bring trillions of Naira. We’ll collect the money and still vote ADC,” they said. “We’re going to defend our votes from polling units to final collation.”
Referencing Onanuga’s recent online posts, they said: “We saw Onanuga asking ‘how market?’ Well, the waters have been tested. It’s going to be fire for fire.”
Youth tired of being sidelined
Ruqayya Lamido Dodo, ADYC’s National Coordinator, said young Nigerians are done waiting on “tomorrow.”
“For decades, we’ve been called ‘leaders of tomorrow.’ We’re tired of that. We are not spectators. We are building our nation today,” she said.
She added that ADYC isn’t just a youth wing but the “engine room” of the ADC, aiming to re-engineer Nigeria’s political system with transparency, accountability, and radical inclusion.
“Vote buying is criminal — we won’t tolerate it”
ADYC Director General, Murtala Haliru Dantoro, slammed the recent bye-elections, calling them “a show of shame” riddled with vote buying.
“In Niger, votes were bought for as little as N2,000. It was heartbreaking,” he said. “We refuse to inherit a broken system. We are here to fix it.”
Grassroots-first strategy
The group emphasized that their plan isn’t top-down but rooted in communities across the country.
“We’re setting up local chapters, launching community projects, and using digital tools to mobilize young Nigerians,” they said. “This is a real movement, and we’re only getting started.”
