Vice-President Kashim Shettima, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and former Jigawa State Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar have declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, urging northern political leaders to mobilise voters across the region.
The leaders made their positions known on Saturday during the commissioning of the national secretariat of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a northern political support group established to mobilise backing for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket ahead of the next presidential election.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, Shettima expressed confidence that the North would support Tinubu for a second term, citing the administration’s economic reforms, infrastructure projects and interventions aimed at addressing the region’s development challenges.
However, he acknowledged the economic hardship experienced by Nigerians, saying the administration had a responsibility to explain its policies, achievements and outstanding challenges to the public.
The Vice-President said the government inherited an economy under severe pressure, including foreign reserves of $3.9 billion and more than N27 trillion in Ways and Means financing obligations.
He argued that Tinubu’s economic decisions were necessary to prevent a deeper crisis, claiming that the country’s foreign reserves had risen to approximately $58.9 billion under the administration.
Shettima said the government remained committed to tackling insecurity, expanding economic opportunities and reducing poverty, but stressed that the experiences of struggling households, unemployed graduates and traders must inform policy decisions.
He also assured northern Nigerians that a second Tinubu administration would not disadvantage the region, pointing to planned agricultural initiatives and other interventions expected to benefit farmers.
Shettima warns against APC divisions
The Vice-President identified internal divisions within the APC as a major threat to the party’s electoral prospects, urging leaders to resolve disagreements and concentrate on mobilising voters.
He cited political developments in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Benue as evidence of the party’s expanding reach, claiming that defections by opposition lawmakers and other political figures had strengthened the APC’s position in parts of the North.
Shettima said endorsements by prominent politicians would not be enough to secure electoral victory without sustained engagement with voters at the grassroots.
He challenged political appointees and party officials to demonstrate their value by mobilising support in their communities, wards and polling units for Tinubu, state governors and legislative candidates.
In his remarks, Yilwatda said the North had several reasons to support Tinubu’s re-election, highlighting infrastructure development, social investment programmes, federal appointments and projects across the region.
He cited road projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway and sections of the Trans-Saharan Super Highway, as examples of the administration’s efforts to improve connectivity and economic activities.
The APC chairman also listed the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, irrigation infrastructure, railway development, healthcare interventions and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) among initiatives he said would benefit northern communities.
Yilwatda urged political leaders to translate their influence into grassroots mobilisation, calling for Tinubu and Shettima to be returned for another term.
Sani invokes North-South power rotation
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, speaking on behalf of northern governors, also declared support for Tinubu’s re-election.
He referred to the political understanding surrounding the rotation of presidential power between the North and South, noting that the North had benefited from eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Sani argued that the region should respect the arrangement that enabled it to occupy the presidency for two consecutive terms, while acknowledging that the arrangement was not constitutionally binding.
He urged APC members to extend their support beyond the presidential ticket to governors, National Assembly members and state legislators contesting the 2027 elections.
Earlier, Badaru, Director-General of A4A, described the organisation as a coalition of northern political leaders united by their support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
He said the group’s backing was based on the administration’s record, citing infrastructure development, social investment programmes, student loans and what he described as improvements in security.
Badaru acknowledged that challenges remained, particularly in the security sector, but maintained that progress had been recorded.
He said the newly commissioned A4A secretariat at No. 4 Port Harcourt Street, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, would coordinate the organisation’s activities across the North.
The facility comprises three blocks, each with three floors, offices, conference facilities and a situation room for monitoring campaign operations.
According to Badaru, the group plans to extend its mobilisation activities to states, local governments, wards and polling units, targeting traders, farmers, young people, women and religious communities.
The declarations at the commissioning underscore the APC’s efforts to consolidate its political support in northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the party’s leaders emphasising unity, policy advocacy and grassroots mobilisation.
