…Shinkafi Hails Ex-Zamfara Governor as Political ‘Heavyweight’
The political machinery for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid has received a major boost with the emergence of Senator Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari as Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign.
Yari’s emergence has attracted strong endorsement from former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, who described the former Zamfara governor as a political heavyweight with the grassroots network, experience and alliances required to prosecute a fiercely contested presidential election.
Shinkafi said the 2027 presidential election would not be won through Abuja politics alone, arguing that victory would depend largely on effective grassroots mobilisation, strong party structures, strategic alliances and the ability to convert political support into votes.
He said Yari had spent years building political networks and structures, tracing his political career to the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), where he served as Zamfara State Secretary and later State Chairman.
According to Shinkafi, Yari played a key role in the campaign that secured the 2003 re-election of former Zamfara Governor Ahmad Sani Yarima, demonstrating his early ability to organise political structures and mobilise voters.
Yari later became National Treasurer of the ANPP before serving in the House of Representatives, where he represented Anka/Talata Mafara Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2011.
His political profile grew further with his election as governor of Zamfara State and his involvement in the formation and consolidation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Shinkafi said Yari’s decision to champion the APC in Zamfara at a politically uncertain period demonstrated what he described as his willingness to take bold political decisions.
He argued that the experience would be valuable as the APC prepares for another high-stakes presidential contest.
“He has an intimate understanding of party dynamics, traditional institutions, and women and youth organisations,” Shinkafi said, stressing that Yari’s political network extends beyond Zamfara and the northern region.
He described the network as a potential grassroots machinery capable of translating party structures, alliances and campaign messages into votes during the 2027 election.
Shinkafi consequently commended Tinubu for placing Yari at the centre of the re-election campaign, describing him as a man of “structure,” “unmatched experience” and “proven loyalty.”
He, however, urged APC stakeholders to close ranks and support the campaign council, warning that internal disagreements could weaken the governing party’s electoral machinery ahead of the presidential contest.
According to him, Yari remains a “pillar of political strength” in Zamfara, northern Nigeria and across the country, adding that his experience could help consolidate what he described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Shinkafi also highlighted Yari’s family background and education, including his upbringing in the Kayayen Mafara family and his exposure to both Islamic and Western education.
He noted that Yari’s postgraduate studies at the University of Salford further contributed to his exposure and outlook on governance and public service.
Yari, who is currently a senator in the 10th National Assembly, is now being positioned by his supporters as one of the key political figures expected to play a major role in the campaign to retain Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in office beyond 2027.
Shinkafi expressed confidence that the campaign structure under Yari would be disciplined, focused and capable of delivering victory for the APC.
However, the real test, according to political observers, will be whether Yari’s extensive networks can be transformed into a coordinated nationwide electoral machine capable of withstanding the pressures of a presidential election.
With Yari now at the centre of the Tinubu/Shettima re-election machinery, the 2027 presidential race appears set for a more intense phase as political parties and their candidates begin to strengthen their structures ahead of the poll.
