Tinubu's Plans for Plateau, Atiku's Fuel Promises, and ADC's Internal Crisis

President Bola Tinubu promised on Saturday to rebuild communities in Plateau State that have suffered from violence. Atiku Abubakar also made a new promise to subsidise petrol and electricity during a campaign rally in Bauchi.

For Tinubu, the key task is to provide security equipment, deploy forest guards, and help rebuild the communities that were attacked. Atiku has a different job: he needs to explain how he will fund his proposed energy subsidies and how they will be different from what the government already offers.

Atiku is also facing fresh challenges to his nomination from rival officials in the ADC party. They pointed to a Federal High Court ruling that invalidated decisions made by the party’s leadership under David Mark. This ruling is currently under appeal.

Tinubu's Commitment to Rebuilding Plateau

At the APC presidential campaign rally at Zaria Road Stadium in Jos, Tinubu promised federal help to rebuild areas that armed groups have attacked. He wants displaced residents to be able to return home safely. He also asked Plateau residents to forgive him for only visiting the airport after the March attack on Angwan Rukuba in Jos North.

According to the Presidency’s report on Saturday’s rally, the promised surveillance cameras for Plateau have now arrived in Nigeria and will soon be installed. The president said that 1,000 forest guards are being trained and will be deployed soon.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang thanked Tinubu for the federal support but admitted that security issues are still a concern.

The government has not revealed which communities will be the first to get reconstruction help, the budget for the program, or when the cameras and guards will be put in place. They also haven’t said when displaced families can safely return.

The rally also showed the APC’s growing presence in Plateau after Mr Mutfwang joined the ruling party.

In Osogbo, APC leaders held a mobilisation walk and set a goal of getting two million votes for Tinubu. Bola Oyebamiji and Senator Francis Fadahunsi participated in the walk. Mr Oyebamiji expressed readiness to work with the state’s ruling party, Accord, but no formal agreement was made.

A separate report noted the APC’s failure to present party flags to candidates during a rally in Akure. State spokesperson Steve Otaloro said this was due to scheduling issues and promised there will be another chance for the presentation.

While the APC is trying to gain support through promises of reconstruction and campaign mobilization, Atiku’s rally in Bauchi brought the energy subsidy issue back into the spotlight.

Atiku's Subsidy Promises Under Scrutiny

At the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi, Atiku promised to restore petrol and electricity subsidies if he becomes president. He also said he would work on security and continue exploration at the Kolmani oil field. He urged his supporters to keep an eye on vote counting and result transmission at their polling units.

Atiku's plan for petrol subsidies was first mentioned before Saturday’s rally. During the ADC campaign launch in Sokoto on November 4, his campaign detailed support for locally refined petrol, including possibly supplying domestic refineries with crude oil at lower prices.

However, Atiku didn’t specify the discount or eligibility criteria during his remarks on Saturday.

His electricity promise needs a closer look because there is already federal support in place. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s report for the second quarter of 2026 showed a federal subsidy obligation of ₦321.26 billion from April to June. This amount represents a debt incurred during the quarter, not confirmation that the full amount was paid.

Atiku has also suggested changing the electricity tariff system to better match the power consumers actually receive. His latest promise does not clarify if he plans to subsidise the new tariffs, continue support for current customers, or both. His campaign has not explained who will benefit and how the government will handle the extra costs.

Another spending promise came from Katsina, where PDP governorship candidate Yakubu Lado Danmarke promised free medical treatment without out-of-pocket payments while starting a 2,000-member campaign council. The details on what services will be covered and how the program will be funded were not shared.

Atiku's running mate, former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, predicted that the ADC would defeat Tinubu in all 13 North-east and North-west states, with more wins in Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa. He did not provide any state-by-state polling evidence to back up this claim.

His comments came as rival ADC officials questioned the authority of the leadership behind Atiku’s nomination.

ADC Faces Internal Disputes

Officials aligned with Nafiu Bala Gombe called on Atiku on Saturday to stop presenting himself as the ADC’s presidential candidate. The group, claiming to represent the party’s six geopolitical zonal leaderships, pointed to the Federal High Court ruling made by Justice Peter Lifu on November 5. In a statement reported by The Guardian, spokesperson Christopher Okechukwu warned of further legal action if Atiku continues his campaign.

This group’s claim has not been verified independently. A rival ADC faction made this demand, not a new court order.

The ruling invalidated the arrangements that created the David Mark-led national leadership and decisions from it, including the disputed presidential nomination. The Mark-led ADC has appealed and asked for a stay of execution, but neither step stops the judgment automatically.

This dispute affects the party’s dealings with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including electoral documentation and polling-agent arrangements. There is no verified evidence that this latest factional demand has caused INEC to deny the party access to these processes.

The ADC’s legal troubles also led to a clash with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the NBA of treating them unfairly after it referred lawyer and politician Kalu Kalu to a disciplinary committee over his comments about Justice Lifu during a recent TV show.

In a statement dated November 13, NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya said that while lawyers can question judgments and judicial reasoning, they must follow professional standards when speaking publicly. She confirmed that she had sent a petition and broadcast material to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.

Kalu would have the chance to respond, while the committee would decide if any professional misconduct happened and what penalties, if any, would be suitable. The referral alone does not mean any disciplinary finding.

The ADC rejected the NBA’s response, accusing the association of double standards. The party pointed to earlier criticism of Justice Lifu by the Court of Appeal and suggested that the NBA risks appearing to side with the ruling APC.

The allegation of political bias remains unproven, while the ADC’s view of the appellate ruling has not been independently confirmed. The complaint against Kalu deals with professional conduct, while the courts must sort out the separate issues regarding the ADC’s leadership and nominations.