'Hold your frustrations until January 16' – Aregbesola tells Nigerians
Former Minister of Interior and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has urged Nigerians to endure their frustrations over the country's challenges until January 16, 2027, when he called on them to vote out the ruling All Progressives Congress , APC,
Aregbesola urged supporters not to allow their grievances to provoke violence or disrupt public peace, but to channel their anger into mobilising for the 2027 general elections.
He spoke on Saturday at the ADC campaign rally held at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi, where he represented the party's National Chairman, Senator David Mark.
“I bring greetings from the National Chairman. The National Chairman must tell you that you must not be provoked, fight or engage in any violence, or any act that will destroy the peace of our environment.
“However, preserve all your pains, preserve and endure all your frustrations until the 16th of January, 2027,” Aregbesola told the crowd.
The former Osun State governor said the party's national chairman had directed supporters to mobilise massively at polling units and use their votes to remove the APC from power.
“On the 16th of January, 2027, the National Chairman said I should tell you that you must massively mobilise for the polling units in your precincts and use your frustrations to vote out APC and vote in ADC,” he said.
Aregbesola also urged voters not to leave their polling units immediately after casting their ballots, insisting that they must remain until the votes were counted and the results announced and recorded.
“When you vote, the National Chairman said I should tell you, you must not leave the polling unit. You must stay at the polling unit until the election is concluded, votes are separated and counted, and the results are announced and recorded,” he said.
He further urged party supporters to accompany the results from polling units to ward collation centres, while others should follow the process to local government and state collation centres.
“After the conclusion of the process, that is, the recording of the results and the announcement of the results, a crew must accompany the results to the ward collation centre. It is only after then that you can go home,” Aregbesola said.
He added that some supporters should follow the results from the ward collation centres to the local government and state collation centres to ensure that the party's votes were protected.
The ADC national secretary said Nigeria needed a new direction, calling for what he described as the country's deliverance, resetting and rebirth.
“Indeed, Nigeria needs deliverance, Nigeria needs resetting, Nigeria needs a rebirth. And together, we are going to bring back transformation and change to Nigeria, Insha Allah,” he said.
Aregbesola later represented Senator David Mark in presenting the party's flag to its Bauchi governorship candidate, Haliru Jika whom he described as the person expected to occupy the Government House on May 29, 2027.
‘Hold your frustrations until January 16’ – Aregbesola tells Nigerians