N-Power Beneficiaries Back Atiku for 2027 Presidency

A nationwide delegation of N-Power beneficiaries has visited former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and declared support for his bid to become Nigeria’s president in the 2027 election.

The endorsement was disclosed by AbdulAziz Na’ibi Abubakar, a political commentator and member of The Atiku Movement, a group supporting Atiku’s presidential ambition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Na’ibi said the beneficiaries had thrown their weight behind Atiku following his promise to create more opportunities for Nigerian youths and support young entrepreneurs if elected president.

He wrote in a statement shared on Saturday, “Breaking News: 1.4 million N-Power beneficiaries declare support for Atiku Abubakar ahead of 2027.”

However, the claim that 1.4 million beneficiaries endorsed Atiku could not be independently verified.

Na’ibi said Atiku had pledged to introduce a $10 billion financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurs, which he said would benefit N-Power beneficiaries and other Nigerian youths who had been shut out of economic opportunities.

According to him, the former vice president’s proposed programme would provide financial support for young Nigerians seeking to establish or expand businesses and create a pathway to economic independence.

Na’ibi also used the occasion to criticise the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“Tinubu will answer for the trillions harvested from subsidy removal and wasted while Nigerians paid the price,” he said.

“That money should have gone into relief, roads, schools, hospitals and farms. Instead, the people got hardship and the inner circle got the spoils.”

He further claimed that Nigerians were already organising ahead of the 2027 election and would not be persuaded by political inducements.

“You can purchase governors, clerics and lawmakers. You cannot purchase the Nigerian people. Across the country, voters are organising for 2027, not to negotiate, but to vote this government out,” Na’ibi said.

The endorsement comes against the background of the troubled history of the N-Power scheme and longstanding complaints by former beneficiaries over unpaid stipends and allowances.

N-Power was launched in 2016 by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle youth unemployment and provide young Nigerians with skills and temporary employment opportunities.

Graduate beneficiaries were initially paid a monthly stipend of N30,000, while non-graduate participants received N10,000 monthly during their period in the programme.

The scheme was suspended by the Federal Government in October 2023, with officials citing concerns over irregular payments and beneficiaries whose participation had already expired but who allegedly remained on the payment system.

The suspension left many former beneficiaries demanding payment of outstanding stipends. In 2025, the beneficiaries claimed that the government owed them about N81 billion in unpaid allowances dating back to 2022 and 2023.

The dispute later led to discussions involving Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, government officials, representatives of the beneficiaries and their lawyer. The beneficiaries subsequently suspended planned legal action after assurances that efforts would be made to resolve the payment issues.

More than 230,000 former N-Power beneficiaries have also taken legal action against the Federal Government, demanding payment of outstanding stipends and allowances as well as N5 billion in damages over what they described as unfair treatment and breach of contractual obligations.

The latest endorsement of Atiku comes at a time when political parties, support groups and various interest organisations are intensifying mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, has also made the welfare of young Nigerians a major part of his campaign message, alongside his criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies.

His position on the petrol subsidy, however, has faced opposition from some youth groups.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) recently rejected Atiku’s promise to restore the petrol subsidy if elected president, describing the proposal as a political response to the economic hardship facing Nigerians rather than a sustainable solution to the country’s fiscal problems.

NANS President Akinteye Babatunde argued that although the removal of the subsidy had created significant hardship, returning to the previous system without addressing its weaknesses could recreate the problems that made the policy difficult to sustain.

“Every sane and patriotic citizen who is conversant with our nation’s economy will agree with me that the removal of the fuel subsidy was a difficult but necessary economic reform,” Akinteye said.

He argued that the resources saved from subsidy removal should instead be used to improve education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture and other areas that directly affect Nigerians.

“However, the real measure of the reform should not be the savings alone, but what the government does with those savings,” he said.

Atiku had previously said he initially did not oppose Tinubu’s decision to remove the subsidy in May 2023 but later became concerned about how the savings from the policy were being used.

“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money? Where has the subsidy money gone? Has it been used to improve healthcare, education or security?” Atiku asked.

He subsequently pledged to restore the subsidy if elected in 2027, adding, “If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money.”