Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has endorsed the Tinubu Must Go movement, describing it as part of what he sees as a collective effort to bring political change to Nigeria.
Atiku expressed his support after receiving Abba Hikima, one of the conveners of the Tinubu Must Go movement, at his residence in Abuja, according to a statement issued on Monday.
The campaign gained wider attention during the nationwide Democracy Day protests on June 12, 2026, when demonstrators in cities including Lagos and Abuja used the slogan while raising concerns about insecurity and the abduction of teachers and schoolchildren in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The group subsequently developed into an organised movement in September, with its organisers describing it as a non-partisan platform focused on public enlightenment and opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
As part of its activities, the movement conducted a 24-hour online poll between September 24 and 25, asking participants to indicate their preferred choice among leading opposition presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 election.
According to figures released by the organisers, the exercise attracted 109,799 respondents, with Atiku and his running mate, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, receiving 80,809 votes, representing 73.6 per cent of the total.
The Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket recorded 24,519 votes, or 22.3 per cent, while 4,471 respondents, representing 4.1 per cent, selected other candidates included in the exercise.
Atiku said he was encouraged by the level of participation in the poll but argued that its significance went beyond the numerical result, pointing instead to what he described as a growing desire for political change.
He said he fully endorsed the Tinubu Must Go movement and invited Nigerians who share its stated aspirations to participate in the campaign as it works toward what he described as rebuilding a united, prosperous and democratic Nigeria.
The former vice-president also said he looked forward to engaging with the wider leadership of the movement as it develops its activities and pursues its broader political objectives.
The endorsement comes days after Atiku publicly called on Nigerians to vote against the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 election, while presenting the ADC as an alternative political platform focused on insecurity and economic hardship.
Speaking in Akure, Ondo State, on September 24, Atiku also said an ADC administration would seek to restore the petrol subsidy and improve security if elected, while urging voters to use the 2027 election to change the government.
The Tinubu Must Go movement has also been involved in discussions about possible cooperation among opposition presidential contenders, with its organisers previously urging Atiku, Peter Obi, Seyi Makinde and Omoyele Sowore to consider dialogue toward a possible consensus candidate.
However, the 109,799-vote online poll represents participants in the movement’s own exercise and does not by itself constitute a nationally representative opinion poll, particularly because information about its sampling methodology and the wider Nigerian electorate has not yet been independently established.
The movement said it intends to publish a more comprehensive report covering the poll’s methodology, participation growth, timestamp analysis, reach, limitations and organisational significance.
With the 2027 presidential contest approaching, Atiku’s endorsement places the Tinubu Must Go campaign alongside the wider opposition mobilisation already taking place among parties, support groups and political movements seeking to shape the direction of the next election.