2027 Election Will Be About Conscience, Not Tribe,.Declares ADC Youth Leader
The National Youth Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Balarabe Rufai, has declared that the 2027 general election will be a moral battle between Nigerians guided by conscience and those without it.
Rufai made the remarks on Saturday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Coalition for Nigerian Youths in Politics (CONYIP). He described Nigerian youths as the backbone of the ADC, expressing confidence that their active participation will be instrumental in unseating President Bola Tinubu.
On July 1, opposition leaders including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former APC presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, among others, unveiled the ADC as a unified political platform to challenge the current administration in 2027.
Rufai criticized the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, saying it has failed to reach the majority of eligible youths, contrary to official claims. He also highlighted the government’s lack of seriousness in youth development, citing a paltry ₦14 billion allocation to the Ministry of Youth in the 2024 national budget.
“Let me assure you — anyone standing with the ADC coalition today is a Nigerian with conscience. This is no longer about tribe or region. It’s about those who care and those who don’t,” Rufai said.
He revealed that several ADC leaders had rejected political offers from the current administration, including contracts and appointments, adding, “We trust our leaders, but we will not idolize them. Democracy is about participation and accountability.”
Speaking on why the ADC was chosen as the coalition’s platform, Rufai explained, “The party isn’t driven by religion, ethnicity, or regional sentiment. ADC is not a northern or southern party. It is for all Nigerians.”
Rufai reaffirmed the ADC’s youth-focused agenda, noting that 40% of all elective and appointive positions will be reserved for young people. “The youth wing is the strength of the ADC, and it is youths who will drive the change to unseat President Tinubu in 2027,” he added.
He lamented the mismatch in government priorities, saying, “The NYSC was allocated ₦29 billion — primarily for administration — yet the Ministry of Youth got only ₦14 billion. That’s a clear signal that youth empowerment isn’t a priority.”
Rufai called for a transformation in political values, asserting that young people must no longer be tools for political exploitation. “This is not business as usual. We want to rebuild politics into a service to the people, not a money-making venture. That change starts with the youth.”
Also speaking at the event, CONYIP Convener, Nnamdi Ezemagu, praised Rufai’s appointment, describing him as “a square peg in a square hole.” He urged other political parties to follow the ADC’s example by elevating credible youth leaders with proven records of service in youth-led institutions.
“Come 2027, Nigerian youths will no longer be used and dumped. We will only support parties that genuinely include and empower us,” Ezemagu warned.
