Atiku to youths: Don’t be spectators in your own nation’s story — shape Nigeria of your dream

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked young Nigerians to play an active role in rebuilding the country and not be mere spectators.

Abubakar spoke in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 28th anniversary of the death of the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.

The memorial, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, was themed ‘The union we hope to become’ and was attended by political leaders, civil society actors, and members of the Yar’Adua family.

Yar’Adua was the chief of staff, supreme headquarters, during the military rule in 1976 and was the de facto second-in-command.

He died in prison in 1997 while serving a life sentence over allegations of plotting a coup to overthrow the regime of Sani Abacha, who was the head of state.

At the event, Abubakar reflected on Yar’Adua’s legacy and the state of the nation, urging youths to imbibe the dreams of the former elder statesman.

‘YOU MUST BE AUTHORS AND BUILDERS OF NEW NIGERIA’

The former vice-president said Nigeria is at a make-or-break moment, with unemployment, insecurity, and disillusionment testing the country’s unity, adding that the future depends on the youths’ willingness to act.

“So, to every young Nigerian listening today, let me say this: You are not powerless. You cannot be spectators in your own nation’s story,” he said.

“You must be the authors, the dreamers, the doers, and the builders of a new Nigeria.”

Abubakar advised youths to rise “not in anger but with resolve”, saying the country’s diversity should be harnessed as a strength rather than treated as a fault line.

“Our youths must become the generation that dared to finish what others began. You have to prove that the union Shehu hoped for can indeed be the union we become,” he said.

TRIBUTE TO YAR’ADUA

Abubakar delivered an emotional tribute to the late Yar’Adua, describing him as a mentor, visionary democrat, and “moral compass” who paid the ultimate price for Nigeria’s political development.

He said Yar’Adua’s influence remains alive 28 years after his death because he embodied courage, sacrifice and a clear idea of what a just Nigeria should look like.

“To speak of General Shehu Musa Yar’adua is not just to recall history; it is to summon the living spirit of a man whose courage, loyalty, and intellect helped shape not only me but also the direction of our nation’s democratic journey,” Abubakar said.

He described their shared journey as one shaped by conviction and struggle.

“For me, and for many of us who shared that long, uncertain road of struggle, Shehu was more than a fellow traveller; he was a mentor, a brother-in-arms, a partner in vision, a trusted confidant, and a moral compass,” the former vice-president said.

“In the movement we built together, Shehu taught us that leadership must never become an instrument of privilege; it must remain a vessel of service.”

He added that Yar’Adua’s commitment to justice and equity made him a leader who transcended regional and religious boundaries.

“Shehu’s moral compass was fixed on equity. He refused to be confined by tribe, religion, or region. His loyalty was to one constituency — the Nigerian people,” he said.

Abubakar said Yar’Adua’s belief in institutional integrity, service-driven leadership and national unity should guide Nigeria’s political class today.

“When men such as Shehu walk the earth, they leave footprints that endure,” he said.

Abubakar also paid tribute to the Yar’Adua family, saying their contributions to Nigeria’s political leadership remain unmatched.

“You offered Nigeria one of its finest sons, and you did so with grace,” he told the family.

He said Nigeria’s unity remains fragile and continues to be tested by distrust, exclusion and growing despair, noting that building a just and inclusive union requires collective effort.

He said Yar’Adua believed unity must be rooted in justice and opportunity—not slogans.

Abubakar said every generation has a duty to build rather than merely dream, arguing that the work of national development is never easy.

“The Nigeria of our dreams will not come to us through rhetoric or sentiment; it will come only through collective resolve, discipline, and honest work,” he added.