Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on Nigerians to cast their votes in the 2027 general election based on conscience and competence rather than tribe or region.

Atiku, a ranking member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), described tribalism as the bane of Nigeria’s progress and a “malignant disease” that must be eradicated.

In a statement issued by his media consultant, Kola Johnson, the former vice president accused the political elite of being most guilty of promoting tribalism as a tool to divide citizens and advance selfish ambitions.

He noted that politicians often appeal to ethnic sentiments, urging their tribesmen not to support certain candidates simply because they hail from other ethnic groups, rather than evaluating them based on merit and achievements.

“At all times, your exclusive point of focus must be the competence of the person based on his antecedents among his numerous qualities, rather than what tribe or ethnic group he hails from,” Atiku said.

“As we approach this coming election, I beseech you all, my esteemed compatriots, to vote according to your conscience and never allow anyone to subject you to the perverted delusion that you must not vote for a candidate just because he is Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba.”

Atiku further urged Nigerians to strengthen bonds as compatriots in one indivisible nation rather than relying on tribal identities. He cited his decades-long marriage to his Yoruba-born wife as proof of the value of unity beyond ethnic boundaries.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s political history, Atiku said the First Republic represented the nation’s golden era, with leaders distinguished by integrity and achievements. However, he lamented that the “venomous cankerworm of tribalism” eventually disrupted that era, leaving a lingering effect that has stunted national growth.

“This is to pinpoint in poignantly clear terms the limitless havoc inherent in the monstrous scourge of tribalism, which we must all avoid like a plague,” he stated.

The former vice president called for peace, harmony, and unity among Nigerians, urging citizens to live “like one single united family” and work together to achieve the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers.