A coalition of elders and supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has commenced grassroots mobilisation in Kano ahead of the 2027 presidential election, pledging to leverage their influence within families and communities to promote what they described as responsible political participation.
The elders made the declaration during a one-day town hall meeting on Saturday, in Kano, organised by the Office of the Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar on Voter Engagement and Coordination for the North-West Zone, Comrade Idris Ibrahim Unguwar Gini.
The meeting, it was gathered, was aimed at reshaping political engagement and strengthening grassroots support for Atiku’s presidential bid.
Speaking at the meeting, Unguwar Gini said the mobilisation would focus on parents, elders and families, urging them to resist what he described as the growing practice of inducing voters with money, food items and other material benefits during elections.
He argued that elders had a responsibility to guide younger members of their families and communities towards making informed political choices.
“We must stop allowing some politicians to come and distribute rice and money, and lure young people and their wives to vote for what will become a disaster,” he said.
According to him, political mobilisation should be driven by issues, leadership quality and the welfare of citizens rather than material inducements.
He also criticised the current administration over the economic hardship in the country and the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that Atiku would restore the subsidy if elected president in 2027.
Unguwar Gini further warned that the economic situation could worsen if President Bola Tinubu secures a second term, urging voters to consider Atiku as an alternative.
He said the meeting was particularly significant because participants attended voluntarily and were not financially induced to participate.
“No one was paid money. We hope to work hard to instil in our children and families the right thing to do in order to secure Atiku’s victory in 2027,” he said.
Elders will protect Atiku’s votes — Babawo
The Chairman of Atiku Abubakar’s campaign organisations from 2023 to date, Alhaji Kabir Abubakar Babawo, described the gathering as unprecedented, particularly because of the large number of elderly participants.
He said the presence of people aged between 60 and 80 demonstrated, in his view, that Atiku had considerable support among senior citizens in Kano.
“We have never seen a meeting like this in Kano. Parents and grandparents aged 60, 70 and 80 attended. This proves to us that we have people who will protect Atiku’s votes,” Babawo said.
He added that the participation of elders at polling units would strengthen the capacity of Atiku’s supporters to safeguard their votes during the election.
Babawo also praised Atiku’s political record, portraying him as a leader who respects people, accepts responsibility for mistakes and is committed to addressing economic hardship.
He said the 2027 election should be an opportunity to restore justice, tackle insecurity and reverse what he described as prevailing oppression and hardship in the country.
Atiku represents national unity, says professor
Also speaking, Professor Ahmad Shehu, Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar on Stakeholders and Strategy, expressed satisfaction with the turnout of elders at the meeting.
Shehu said Atiku’s tenure as vice president from 1999 to 2007 coincided with a period of economic growth and improvements in several sectors, including education.
He argued that Atiku remained capable of addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.
The professor also described the former vice president as a nationalist who, in his assessment, transcends ethnic considerations in his political outlook.
“He sees himself as a Nigerian,” Shehu said.
‘Kano is bigger than any individual’
An elder statesman, Alhaji Sulaiman Mambo, urged political leaders to respect the influence of elders and avoid actions capable of destabilising Kano.
Mambo said elders had a responsibility to prevent younger people from being manipulated for political purposes.
“It is the right of elders not to allow children to be misused. From this meeting, we are telling every politician in Kano to be careful. We will not allow Kano to be destroyed,” he said.
He stressed the strategic importance of Kano to Nigeria and the wider West African region, arguing that instability in the state could have consequences beyond its borders.
“Kano is bigger than any individual,” he said.
Mambo identified poverty, hunger and insecurity as major concerns confronting Nigerians and called on political leaders to prioritise measures capable of improving living conditions and restoring citizens’ sense of security.
The meeting underscores the intensifying political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, as competing political camps increasingly focus on grassroots structures, influential community leaders and voter engagement in Kano.
