Atiku Has Become Citizens’ Candidate Because He Listens to Nigerians – Nwosu

Former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, has described the Party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the “citizens’ candidate,” saying his willingness to listen to Nigerians and reverse policies he considers harmful has strengthened his appeal ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Nwosu made the remarks while assessing the impact of government policies introduced since 2023 on Arise TV on Wednesday, arguing that the effectiveness of any policy should be measured by comparing the conditions before and after its implementation.

According to him, some leaders lack the courage to acknowledge when a policy is not working, while Atiku has demonstrated boldness by advocating a reversal of policies that, in his view, have increased hardship for Nigerians.

“Some people are not showing boldness. Atiku is showing boldness by saying, take this back, so that the Nigerian people will breathe,” Nwosu said.

He argued that when Nigerians are given economic relief, they would be better positioned to cooperate with the government and employers to increase production and expand economic activity.

Nwosu also criticised what he described as the “recklessness” of those in power since 2023, insisting that the level of hardship across the country raises questions about the effectiveness of governance.

“I can tell you that, especially since 2023, this country is not being governed. There is no indicator that the country is being governed,” he said.

The former ADC chairman pointed to conditions in hospitals and the rising cost of education as examples of the difficulties confronting citizens.

He questioned the impact of sudden increases in school fees, asking whether government policies were based on the assumption that Nigerians were powerless to challenge them.

“Is it because we feel that Nigerian people are helpless, therefore the government can bully them?” he asked.

Nwosu said Atiku’s willingness to reconsider policies was evidence of responsive leadership, stressing that governments must be prepared to review, reconstruct, reframe and innovate when existing policies fail to deliver the desired results.

He further argued that investments in empowering citizens and expanding productive capacity could ultimately generate far greater economic value than the cost of supporting struggling Nigerians.

“We are dealing with human beings. It’s people who don’t understand leadership; it’s when you don’t understand leadership, you think you can just bully people,” Nwosu said.

“Leadership is understanding people, because you lead people. You don’t lead animals.”

He maintained that Atiku’s perceived willingness to listen to citizens and respond to their concerns was responsible for his growing identification with ordinary Nigerians, describing the former vice president as the “citizens’ candidate.”