Atiku nationwide campaign plans will cover all 36 states, the ADC says, with rallies, town halls and community visits ahead of the 2027 election
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar will campaign in all 36 states of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said, promising a nationwide outreach programme that will extend beyond rallies in state capitals.
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Phrank Shaibu, the council’s Director of Strategic Communication, made the declaration during an interview with ARISE News on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
He said the campaign timetable would be released shortly and insisted that no state would be excluded from Atiku’s engagements with voters.
“We are going to release our schedule in a few days. Or in a few hours. And you will see for yourself. You will be able to interrogate for yourself. That look, Atiku Abubakar, no state will be left out,” Shaibu said.
He explained that the campaign would include town hall meetings, community engagements and visits to local government areas and villages, rather than relying exclusively on large rallies.
According to Shaibu, the approach is intended to give Atiku opportunities to meet voters directly, hear their concerns and present his campaign message to communities across the country.
“We are not going to limit our campaign to just state capital or to just rallies. Atiku is already connected with the people. The people are hungry. People are dying. Do you understand? He needs to connect with them. He needs to listen to them,” he said.
Shaibu also rejected suggestions that Atiku’s electoral appeal would be concentrated in northern Nigeria, arguing that economic hardship was affecting citizens across regional and ethnic lines.
“The man who is hungry in Zamfara is the same as the man who is hungry in Lagos. Forget the noise,” he said.
He predicted that Nigerians experiencing financial difficulties would support the ADC candidate, expressing confidence that Atiku could attract voters in both northern and southern states.
“Hungry Nigerians will vote for Atiku Abubakar. Atiku’s pathway is not limited to Northern Nigeria. Atiku’s pathway is across the length and breadth of Nigeria,” Shaibu said.
When asked which southern states the former vice-president expected to win, the campaign spokesman made an emphatic prediction.
“I will not just be bold, I will be audacious about it. Atiku will win the entire country,” he said.
The statement reflects the campaign council’s confidence in Atiku’s nationwide appeal.
However, the remarks are campaign predictions, and the eventual electoral outcome will depend on voters’ decisions at the polls.
The ADC’s proposed approach contrasts with President Bola Tinubu’s plan to personally attend campaign rallies in 12 states, according to the All Progressives Congress campaign timetable reported by Nigerian media.
Tinubu addressed the issue on October 14, 2026, while inaugurating the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja.
He said he would not accompany the campaign team to every state because he also needed to attend to government responsibilities. \
“You’ve warned me not to allow the rigour of the campaign to distract me from governance, I hear you. I am in full agreement with your decision. Nigeria needs more attention now,” the President said.
He also referred to financial obligations and the need to attract investors as considerations in limiting his personal participation in campaign activities.
“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” Tinubu said.
The reported APC timetable listed presidential campaign appearances in 12 states, beginning with Kaduna on October 24, 2026, and concluding with Lagos on January 9, 2027.
The party’s broader campaign activities are intended to cover states where the President is not scheduled to attend personally.
The difference between the two campaign approaches is therefore chiefly about the candidates’ expected personal attendance, rather than whether their parties will campaign nationwide.
With the 2027 presidential election approaching, both camps face the challenge of persuading voters on issues including the cost of living, employment, security and economic opportunity.
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The ADC has promised a broad grassroots campaign, but its full schedule and the extent of Atiku’s eventual participation in individual state engagements remain to be seen.
