The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has urged Nigerians to rise in unity, reject inducement and intimidation, and take responsibility for the country’s future at the ballot box as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence anniversary.

Turaki made the call in an Independence Day message dated October 1, 2026, titled “Nigeria @66: Like Our Forebears, Let’s Not Miss the Time.”

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He said every anniversary of Nigeria’s independence serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the country’s forebears in pursuit of a nation they envisioned as a place of prosperity, equality, equity and justice.

According to him, the struggle for self-rule was not achieved without resistance, noting that when the opportunity for independence came, Nigeria’s forebears rejected inducements and resisted threats designed to defeat their objective.

He said they did not delay or miss their moment.

Turaki said Nigerians must draw from that example as the country turns 66, stressing that it is now the responsibility of citizens to rise and act.

“As Nigeria turns 66, it is our turn to rise.”
He called on Nigerians to rise in unison, shun inducement and stand firm against intimidation.

The PDP chairman said citizens must, “now, more than ever,” remain determined to elect, at the earliest opportunity, a government that will build a Nigeria that works for all and not just some.

He said such a government should create a nation characterised by security, economic opportunity, unity and justice.

According to Turaki, the responsibility for achieving that objective rests with Nigerians through their participation at the ballot box.

“That responsibility now rests on us at the ballot box. This is our own time, and we must not let it pass.”

He urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity to shape the country’s future, drawing inspiration from the generation that fought for self-rule and refused to allow inducements or threats to derail its pursuit of independence.

Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) Vice Presidential Candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has identified insecurity, education and the economy as three major areas that must be addressed for Nigeria to make progress.

Amaechi also pledged to resign if Nigerians fail to begin feeling a positive change within one year of the ADC taking office.

He made the remarks during an interview on AIT while discussing the state of the Nigerian economy, poverty, insecurity and the political agenda of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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According to him, addressing the country’s major challenges would also require a significant reduction in corruption because, in his view, funds meant for development are being diverted into private pockets.

“You must deal with three things: You must deal with insecurity, you must deal with education, you must deal with the economy, before this country can progress,” Amaechi said.

He added: “And to do all that, corruption will have to come down because there is no money for anybody to steal. The reason why these things are not being done is that the money that would be used to fund these things are in private pockets.”

Amaechi also questioned what he described as the benefits Nigerians have received from the removal of fuel subsidy under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“What is the benefit—okay, let’s even say, okay, President Tinubu removed subsidy. What are the benefits of subsidy? The subsidy money is in private pockets, and they are celebrating,” he said.

The ADC vice presidential candidate further contrasted what he described as celebrations among some people in southern Nigeria with the hardship being experienced in parts of the North.

“That’s why you see people in the South throwing parties, then in the North, people are… people are dying,” he said.

Amaechi, however, clarified that he was not claiming that northern governors were completely excluded from the funds.

“I’m not saying some of the Northern governors don’t get the money, but I’m saying, you can see… First, you see, with the level of hunger… when they invite me to parties like this, I just sit down, I just spend 5-10 minutes in some of these parties, I don’t waste my time, because I sit down and ask myself: ‘Where are these people getting this money from?’”

He also pointed to what he described as the high level of poverty in the country while questioning Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished products.

“Going by how high poverty is in Nigeria… Now, we import over 46% of finished goods. Who are those importing it?” he asked.
Amaechi subsequently declared: “Nigeria is in trouble.”

He also referred to the public reaction to President Tinubu’s movements in Lagos, saying he had watched people hoot at the President while he was travelling from the Lagos International Airport to his residence.

“I watched people hoot at Tinubu from the… from the Lagos International Airport to his house,” Amaechi said.

He then argued that an ADC government would deliver a different experience for Nigerians.

“If we become president, nobody would do that. They will be clapping for us because we will change Nigeria,” he said.
Amaechi then made a direct pledge concerning the performance of an ADC administration.

“This time I’ve said it, if Nigeria does not begin to change one year after we have come into office, come to me, I will resign,” he declared.

He stressed that he was not promising that every problem in the country would be completely solved within one year, but insisted that Nigerians should be able to feel a noticeable difference.

“Yes, if Nigeria does not begin to change, I didn’t say Nigeria must change, everything must change but even you will feel the change. You will have a breath of fresh air,” Amaechi said.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of not being “particularly innocent” when it comes to what he described as political “dirty” tactics.

Baba-Ahmed made the remarks during an interview on Arise TV while discussing the legal challenges facing opposition parties and the need for cooperation among parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, some opposition parties have faced legal battles and internal factionalisation, creating uncertainty over whether some of their candidates will ultimately appear on the ballot.

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“We know that APC is not particularly innocent when it comes to playing dirty — makes you feel comfortable, allegedly — and we have evidence sometimes that support this kind of thing,” Baba-Ahmed said.

“But I would say, we don’t sleep with both eyes closed, and other parties don’t.”

The PRP chairman said the experience of other political parties had taught his party to be meticulous in addressing legal requirements to avoid being caught up in disputes that could threaten its participation in elections.

He explained that within the opposition coalition, several parties are currently involved in court cases, while some have also become factionalised.

“In the coalition that we have now, we have about, I think, eight parties or nine. Five or six all have court cases,” he said.

“We’ve settled ours now, but the others have even more profound… parties have become factionalized. You just never know whether some candidates will be on the ballot or not, if their particular faction of the party is not recognized at some stage between now and then.”

Baba-Ahmed said the uncertainty surrounding some opposition parties was one of the reasons he believed the coalition needed to remain united and protect the interests of its members.

“That’s how uncertain things are. And this is one of the reasons why we need this coalition,” he said.

“We need to watch each other’s backs, we need to protect each other, we need to give each other support, and we need to raise our voices on the need to meticulously respect the law of the land.”

His comments come amid ongoing efforts by opposition parties to coordinate their activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

Baba-Ahmed has previously spoken publicly about the legal and organisational challenges facing opposition parties and the need for a stronger political alternative.