President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to renew his mandate in the 2027 presidential election, blaming previous administrations for the hunger and poverty facing the country.
Tinubu made the appeal on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally at Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna, where party leaders and supporters gathered to launch efforts to secure his re-election.
The president urged voters not to be misled by opposition parties ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, insisting that his administration was working to address the country’s economic challenges.
NDC
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. But who created these problems? They created them, and we are working to eradicate them,” Tinubu said.
He defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, describing it as a necessary measure to address corruption and economic leakages. He also maintained that his administration had laid the foundation for economic recovery, growth and prosperity.
The rally attracted thousands of supporters, with seven governors, including Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina, Umar Namadi of Jigawa, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara and Nasir Idris of Kebbi, among those who received the president at Kaduna International Airport.
Although the event was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., Tinubu arrived at the airport shortly after 2 p.m. and reached the stadium shortly before 3 p.m.
Supporters lined major roads leading to the venue, singing and dancing as the presidential convoy passed, while local drummers and entertainers added colour to the reception.
Security was tightened across Kaduna metropolis, with soldiers, police officers, civil defence personnel, Department of State Services operatives and other security agencies deployed to strategic locations. Several roads were temporarily closed to traffic.
Tinubu was also shielded by a bulletproof glass enclosure positioned around his seat at the rally.
A moment of drama occurred when the president shouted “Nigeria!”, apparently expecting the crowd to respond with “Sai Tinubu!” Instead, a section of the audience chanted “Ba ma yi,” a Hausa expression meaning “We don’t want.”
Shettima Recalls Tinubu’s Support for Atiku
Vice President Kashim Shettima used the rally to criticise former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, recalling Tinubu’s support for him following his fallout with the Peoples Democratic Party in 2007.
Shettima said Tinubu provided Atiku with political support and a platform to contest the presidency after he left the PDP.
“It is pertinent to mention that when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was harassed and chased out of the PDP in 2007, he ran to the Lion of Bourdillon, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who gave him political succour, support and a platform to contest for the presidency,” Shettima said.
The vice president also recalled Tinubu’s support for Nuhu Ribadu’s presidential ambition in 2011 and his role in the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as president in 2015 and 2019.
Shettima argued that the APC deserved the support of northern voters based on its performance in office rather than appeals to regional identity.
He cited investments in education, including the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, the upgrade of the Federal University of Education in Zaria and funding for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He also listed infrastructure projects such as the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, Kano-Maradi railway, Lagos-Kano rail corridor, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway and Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway.
Uba Sani Says Tinubu Has Done More for North
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani declared that Tinubu had done more for Northern Nigeria than previous leaders, citing road construction, agricultural transformation and investments in technical and vocational education.
Sani urged northern voters to support the president’s second-term ambition, arguing that political candidates should be assessed based on their records rather than regional identity.
He said the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, which he described as a strategic highway connecting 12 states across the North-West, North-Central and North-East, was 95 per cent complete.
According to the governor, the Federal Government had committed N740 billion to the reconstruction of the road after he raised concerns about its importance during a meeting with Tinubu two years earlier.
Sani identified insecurity and inadequate funding as major factors that had previously delayed the project. He added that security along the highway had improved, noting that more than 90 per cent of those who travelled from Abuja to Kaduna for the rally used the road.
The governor also challenged opposition politicians seeking northern votes to present evidence of their achievements.
“When someone came to us and said we should vote for him simply because he is a northern candidate, we asked him: Can you show us your track record?” Sani said.
He added that the candidate he was referring to had yet to demonstrate such a record.
Yari Promises Tinubu 100 Per Cent Northern Support
The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, assured Tinubu of overwhelming support from Northern Nigeria in the 2027 election.
Yari said the campaign council would intensify mobilisation through engagements with traditional rulers, Islamic scholars, imams and other influential stakeholders across the region.
“Northern Nigeria is 100% yours, insha Allah. This is the promise that we make, and you are going to see it in January 2027,” Yari said.
He explained that the campaign would focus on communicating the administration’s policies and achievements to voters, particularly in the North.
Yari also defended the government’s relationship with farmers and dismissed allegations that the agricultural sector had been neglected. He claimed that approximately two million farmers had committed to supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Journalists’ Stand Collapses at Rally
Meanwhile, a stand designated for journalists covering the rally collapsed during the event, causing cameramen and their equipment to fall to the ground.
The incident occurred while media personnel from different organisations were filming, photographing and livestreaming proceedings.
Although no injuries were reported, the collapse temporarily disrupted coverage as journalists scrambled to retrieve their equipment and find alternative positions.
Some cameramen subsequently faced difficulties securing clear views of speakers because of the crowd and obstructions created by other structures.
The Kaduna rally marked a major campaign mobilisation effort by the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with party leaders expressing confidence in Tinubu’s chances while appealing to voters to support his administration for another term.
