Yusuf Sani Yabagi is the national chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and has served as a former presidential candidate in Nigeria, energy analyst, and the immediate past chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC). He spoke with AKOMBO AONDONA on his party’s preparation ahead of the 2027 general election and other key issues in Nigeria’s electoral system. Excerpts:
Since after the ADP presidential primary, nothing has been heard about your party’s strategic plans for the campaign and the 2027 general election. What is going on, Sir?
Yeah, as a political party, we definitely have our plans. But like you know, we are still in the process of uploading the data of our candidates to the INEC Portal. You know, that has not yet ended. This is why you have not been hearing much about what we have in terms of preparations for the 2027 election. But nevertheless, as a party, we are working on that. We are also trying to work on how we can sort out some of the internal problems in the party. You know, in all parties, not just peculiar to ADP, after primary elections, there are always issues that you have to resolve internally, of course. So, that’s what strengthens the parties. So, we are doing that process. We are also, like I said, getting ready to launch our campaign. But today, as we speak, we are still on the issue of uploading the names of our candidates to the INEC Portal.
But the INEC deadline for uploading the candidates list expired about a week ago. Why are you still in the process of uploading candidates’ details?
No, no, it has not finished. There are two batches. We still have the governorship and the State House of Assembly. You know, we have just finished the National Assembly and the presidential.
How can you refute the claim that your party, ADP presidential candidate, is a placeholder for ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, should in case he misses the ADC legal squabbles considering the fact that you have a series of meetings with Atiku before your party’s primary elections?
Well, that’s speculative. Like you said yourself. I cannot react to speculations. Even if people can speculate whatever they want to speculate, I cannot control it. I don’t even know why they are thinking that way. But it is speculative.
Running a nationwide campaign requires massive financial outlay. How does ADP plan to fund its 2027 presidential campaign without relying on the controversial political fathers?
You know, politics, like you know, especially like you rightly said, campaigns are not normally funded by just one source. Even the All Progressives Congress that you will say has in-depth access to our country’s treasury is also looking for funds from other sources. So, we are going to launch our campaign appeal funds. We are going to also talk to Nigerians who feel very strongly about having a change of leadership, which we are poised to do. So, it is not so much that the party itself will have enough money to run the campaign for the candidates, as the case may be. But it is normal; we have members of the party, stakeholders and those who are interested in helping our cause. So, we are very much, you know, doing that too as part of our plans to help fund our campaigns.
With the current economic challenges in Nigeria, what are ADP’s immediate and concrete plans to stabilise the Naira and curb inflation in Nigeria, if elected?
Well, like I am sure you know, the life wire of Nigeria’s economy, the mainstream, is oil and gas. Regardless of what some people may be telling you, for now, as we speak, oil and gas remains the main source of income for the government to fund its activities. The problem that we are having is that that sector of the economy is the most disorganised sector. Is the most corrupt sector. So, the ADP government will definitely reorganise the oil and gas sector. We will chase the corruption out of it so that we can properly fund the activities of government because without money, you cannot do anything. We need the revenue. Revenue today, as you know, is being stolen. You know, crude oil theft is still going on, and crude oil terminals are even sources where money is kept. These are going on. So, we have to fight that cankerworm of our problems. That is the issue of corruption, especially in the oil and gas sector. Once we curtail that, I am sure Nigeria’s economy will move to its promised greatness. The issue of insecurity is also a very big challenge which we can also tackle. That too cannot be far away from corruption, especially in the military. So, these two sectors of the economy must be tackled head-on. Unless we do that, our economy can never see the kind of progress that it deserves. So, this is why a vote for ADP is a vote for the progress of Nigeria, its people and economic development.
Let’s look at the insecurity, as you rightly said. What specific unconventional approach will ADP-led Federal Government take to end banditry and terrorism that the current administration is missing?
Well, we will hold people to account for their responsibilities, especially security heads. If you are appointed as a commander, for instance, of a particular platoon or formation of the army and something happens there, you will be held accountable. And that’s what is not happening today. You know, if I ask you how many times have you heard about anybody being court-martialed by the military or even the military itself, have not being held accountable by the government. You know, you will give them billions of dollars, and nobody accounts for it; that’s corruption. That’s why I said these two sectors of the economy, we are going to chase out corruption from them. That is the only time, that Nigeria’s economy can breathe, and that’s the only time it can achieve its greatness, which I told you before. So, it is not a magic science to really tackle Nigeria’s economic problems. If these two sectors can be reorganised properly, Nigeria will get it right. Nigeria would accelerate in terms of economic progress and then, you know, Nigerians will begin to now enjoy what God have given to us in terms of resources. But today these resources are being stolen and not put to productive use. That is where the problem lies.
Looking at INEC, do you have confidence in the current INEC leadership to conduct a free and fair election in 2027?
Well, you keep asking this issue of free and fair election. Even the recent ones they conducted, they got it wrong. They are always missing the point. The problem is not INEC, in particular; the point is: how did INEC come to be? You know, who put INEC in place? The crux of the matter is we are not addressing the core problem itself. We are always looking at the effects or chasing shadows. You literally undermine INEC’s independence by allowing one individual to appoint them and fund them. Is like a football match, like I always said. Where you have two teams and one team appoints all the officiating crew there, including referees and everybody. So, how then do you expect the other team to win? There is no level playing field in that game, and that’s why we keep complaining. It’s not about Amupitan or anybody. If you put another person there under this current arrangement that we have, he cannot perform credibly.
So, what are the technology or polling unit strategies that ADP is deploying to protect its votes and prevent rigging at the grassroots level?
My brother, the point I want you to understand is that votes don’t count. Votes don’t count because, deliberately, the procedure for conducting elections has been compromised. From the beginning, we know it. We have been shouting. We have been saying that we want direct transmission of results from the polling units to the IReV. That has not happened. So, we don’t want manual operations, manual counting, manual collation. But it is still happening. Manual collation is there. Manual counting is there. So, which system are we going to put in place that would check what? What are we checking?
Has your party nominated a Vice-Presidential Candidate for the 2027 general election?
Well, we have. We have uploaded all the necessary data that we need to upload for all our candidates, not only presidential and vice-presidential but also Senatorial and House of Representatives. We have done that, and we have finished with that.
What is your message to Nigerian as we move towards the 2027 general election?
Yes. Nigeria should look at itself in the mirror and see if they are happy. Are they happier than they were in 2023? And if they are not happier, then they should check themselves. You can’t be doing the same thing always and expect different results. So, we have to change our ways. Changing our ways means a change in the rules and laws and the guidelines governing the process of the elections, especially from the constitution points of view. You know, because leadership recruitment matters in the life of a nation. If you are not able to put in place a system that will guarantee you quality people that have empathy for the people and have the knowledge to govern them. If you have a fraudulent system of election, you are going to have fraudulent people in leadership. And that’s what has been happening. Until we change the system, we cannot get it right. Nigeria needs to take a second look at what we have as our laws, especially as far as elections are concerned and do the needful. We all know what to do.