October 25, (THEWILL) – Kaduna, the political and intellectual capital of the North, came alive on Saturday with the mega rally organised by the governing All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council to officially kick off electioneering for the 2027 general election. The rally, which brought together state governors elected on the APC platform, members of the National Assembly, state legislators, party executives and other political stakeholders, are expected to determine how the North, the vote-rich region of Nigeria, can play a great role in deciding who will be Nigeria’s next president. The story in 2023 was an Atiku victory. Under ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who played a significant role in rallying the northern governors in support of Tinubu’s aspiration, Kaduna gave 399,293 votes for Tinubu, against Atiku’s 554,360 votes in the 2023 election.
Peter Obi of the Labour Party polled 294,494 votes, while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP polled 92,969 votes. The same gladiators are around again, though Obi and Kwankwaso have joined forces as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, for the 2027 poll.
At the rally, Tinubu made no promises except to urge the members to rally round the party and work for the re-election of all candidates of the party in the upcoming poll.
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday asked Nigerians for another four years in office as he formally launched his campaign for re-election in 2027, blaming previous administrations for the hunger and poverty that have become major issues in the emerging presidential contest.
Tinubu made the appeal at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna, where party leaders sought to rally support across the North-West for the President and the ruling party ahead of the general election. Thanking Nigerians for electing him in 2023, the President said a renewed mandate would enable his administration to consolidate ongoing economic reforms, infrastructure projects and development programmes and deliver greater prosperity.
Tinubu also confronted criticism from opposition parties over the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians, particularly rising living costs, hunger and poverty.
He blamed previous administrations for the longstanding economic problems, maintaining that his government inherited the challenges and was taking difficult steps to address them. The President cited regular payment of salaries, economic recovery and efforts to tackle corruption and fuel smuggling among areas in which his administration had demonstrated commitment to rebuilding the economy.
He urged Nigerians to support the continuation of the reforms beyond 2027, assuring them that his administration remained committed to prosperity and development. Tinubu also called on eligible Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the election.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who also addressed the campaign gathering, said the Tinubu administration deserved another mandate because of its investments in infrastructure, education, economic reforms and national unity.
Shettima thanked APC members and supporters for their loyalty, saying cooperation among leaders of the ruling party had helped the country navigate the economic difficulties confronting it. He pointed to several Federal Government interventions in Kaduna State, including the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia; Federal University of Education, Zaria; and vocational institutes across the state.
The Vice-President also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline and major road and rail corridors among projects and programmes he said demonstrated the administration’s commitment to the North.
Shettima urged Kaduna residents to renew the mandates of Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani, arguing that continuity would allow the Federal and Kaduna State governments to consolidate ongoing projects.
He also recalled Tinubu’s longstanding political relationship with Northern leaders, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the President’s political history demonstrated his commitment to the region. In his welcome address, Governor Sani similarly urged Northern voters to back Tinubu for another term, citing federal interventions in transportation, education, healthcare, agriculture, security and human capital development.
Sani said the 123-kilometre Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road, which he said had been abandoned for more than 40 years, was undergoing reconstruction following Federal Government intervention.
According to him, improved security along the corridor had enabled more than 300 schools and 150 primary healthcare centres previously shut because of insecurity to reopen.
The governor also cited the ongoing reconstruction of the Zaria-Soba-Funtua Road and the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, which he said was about 95 percent complete.
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Sani said the North-West had received N84 billion through NELFund, benefiting about 414,000 students across the geopolitical zone. He added that Federal Government skills acquisition programmes had expanded vocational training and economic opportunities for residents.
Sani urged Nigerians, particularly voters across Northern Nigeria, to support Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the administration’s infrastructure and agricultural interventions justified another mandate.
Earlier, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, said Kaduna was deliberately chosen to host the presidential campaign flag-off because of its political importance.
Yari commended APC governors, particularly Sani, for their contributions towards the staging of the event. He also accused opposition groups of deploying Artificial Intelligence-generated content to spread misinformation ahead of the election, insisting that the contest should be decided on performance and direct engagement with voters.
The former Zamfara governor claimed that about two million farmers had pledged support for Tinubu’s re-election, adding that campaign officials were engaging traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders.
He expressed confidence that the APC would retain the presidency in 2027, citing infrastructure development, economic reforms and agricultural interventions undertaken by the Tinubu administration. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, meanwhile, used the campaign event to outline the Federal Government’s road projects across the North-West.
Umahi said more than 348 kilometres of federal roads had been completed in the zone, while about 1,800 kilometres had been partially completed. According to him, ongoing federal road projects in the North-West cover about 4,083 kilometres out of approximately 17,000 kilometres nationwide.
He highlighted the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, saying 81 kilometres of its 118-kilometre first section would be commissioned at the ceremony.
Umahi said the first section was completed within 13 months, while more than 144 kilometres of the 164-kilometre second section had been completed. He said the remaining 20 kilometres were expected to be completed by the end of November.
The Works Minister added that Tinubu had directed the installation of solar streetlights along the 375-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor.
The campaign flag-off attracted APC governors, ministers, party leaders, political stakeholders and supporters from across the country and also featured the presentation of party flags to the seven APC governorship candidates in the North-West.
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