By Annette Ikponmwonba | October 15, 2026
Key Points
· ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has launched a citizen engagement platform called Ask AA, where Nigerians can question him on his record and policies
· The platform is scheduled to go live at 8:30 pm on Thursday, according to ADC campaign communications director Phrank Shaibu
· Questions can cover the economy, security, technology, job creation and affordability
· Atiku says he will personally respond, with his media team assisting
· The campaign plans a radio interface so communities without internet access can take part
· Atiku says he will personally call selected participants who leave their contact details
Main Story
The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has launched a citizen engagement platform that lets Nigerians question him about his political record, policy proposals and plans for the country. The platform, tagged Ask AA, is scheduled to go live at 8:30 pm on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu.
The portal will allow Nigerians to submit questions on issues including the economy, security, technology, job creation and measures to make life more affordable. The statement said Atiku would personally respond to questions, while members of his media team would also help provide answers.
Shaibu said the initiative was designed to bridge the information gap between voters and the former Vice President by giving citizens a direct channel to his positions and proposals. “The objective of this initiative is to bring Atiku Abubakar closer to the electorate through a practical, problem-solving platform,” he said.
The Issues
The launch is an attempt to present Atiku as accessible and open to scrutiny at a time when voters are focused on the economy and the cost of living. Having served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 and sought the presidency several times, he faces questions about his long record, and the portal invites those questions directly.
How open the platform will be in practice is the key test. Atiku promised “no filters, no intermediaries,” yet his media team will help provide answers, and the campaign has not said how questions will be selected or whether tough ones will be answered, Access is another issue. An online portal excludes many Nigerians without internet access, which is why the planned radio interface matters, though no date was given for its introduction.
What’s Being Said
Atiku said he conceived the idea because leadership should involve direct communication between leaders and the people. “For too long, governance has felt distant, locked behind walls of bureaucracy. But our country’s greatest resource isn’t oil or land; it is our people,” he said, adding that Nigerians must start by tearing down the walls between leaders and the people.
He described Ask AA as a platform for transparency, accountability and dialogue, and said citizens were free to question his economic record, examine his plans and offer suggestions. He also said he would personally call selected citizens who leave contact details to hear about their experiences and daily challenges, Shaibu added that the initiative reflected Atiku’s commitment to using modern technology to make governance more efficient, secure and effective.
What’s Next
The platform goes live at 8:30 pm on Thursday, and attention will turn to the kinds of questions submitted and how Atiku and his team respond. The campaign also plans to introduce a radio interface for communities without internet access, Rival parties may respond or launch similar engagement tools as the 2027 campaign builds, and observers will watch whether the portal produces substantive answers or functions mainly as a campaign tool.
Bottom Line
Atiku is using Ask AA to cast himself as a candidate who listens and answers directly, but whether it delivers real transparency will depend on how openly his campaign handles difficult questions and how widely it reaches voters offline.
