2027: Northern governors rally support for Tinubu

KADUNA — Governors from Northern states and senior members of the Federal Executive Council on Sunday converged on Kaduna to mobilise support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The high-powered gathering, which brought together political stakeholders from the 19 Northern states, was held at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre, Kaduna, as part of efforts to strengthen support for the Tinubu administration in the region.

Among those at the event were Governors Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and Babagana Zulum of Borno State, alongside Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.

Also in attendance were the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle; Minister of Housing, Engr. Mustapha Rabe Darma; and other senior government officials.

The gathering was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, as part of a stakeholders’ engagement with delegates of the Northern Nigerian Women Ulama from the 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking at the event, Sani said the convergence of political leaders and stakeholders reflected growing support for the Tinubu administration across the region.

He said the Northern Women Ulama, who represent millions of women across the region, had endorsed Tinubu for a second term based on what they described as the administration’s achievements in education, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture and skills development.

“They are not endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu based on sentiments or some selfish reasons. It is simply because of what he has done for Nigeria and for Northern Nigeria in particular,” Sani said.

The governor said the women had particularly acknowledged what he described as Tinubu’s inclusive approach to governance, arguing that the administration had demonstrated fairness in the distribution of development projects and opportunities across the country.

According to him, education remained one of the critical areas requiring intervention in Northern Nigeria because of the gap in educational development between the region and other parts of the country.

Sani said the Tinubu administration had invested in conventional education as well as skills acquisition through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

He said available data from NELFUND and TVET indicated that Northern Nigeria had benefited significantly from the programmes.

“As some of them have said here, if you go to the dashboard of NELFUND and TVET, Northern Nigeria has benefited to the tune of over 60 per cent.

“That is simply because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is detribalised. He is someone who believes in one Nigeria without discrimination,” he said.

The governor urged the stakeholders to take their message of support for Tinubu to communities, wards and local government areas across the region.

“We, as governors who are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are here to support them, to motivate them to do more and take their message to all the 19 Northern states, and all our wards and local governments,” he said.

Sani further claimed that the North had benefited more under the Tinubu administration than under any previous government in the country, saying the claim could be supported with data and statistics.

“The North has benefited under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu more than any leader in the history of Nigeria. We have the data and the statistics and we can prove it any day, anytime,” he said.

He also dismissed attempts by politicians to frame the 2027 election largely along Northern and Southern lines, describing such arguments as outdated and politically unproductive.

According to him, some politicians now campaigning on regional sentiments had previously occupied influential positions, including the vice presidency, governorships and ministerial appointments, but failed to deliver comparable benefits to the North.

He urged the stakeholders to focus on development, inclusion and good governance rather than allowing regional sentiments to dominate political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sani said the convergence also underscored the importance of building a broad political coalition around the Tinubu administration and ensuring that its achievements were communicated directly to citizens across the region.

The event ended with calls for stronger mobilisation across the Northern states in support of the Tinubu administration and continued political cooperation among governors, federal officials, traditional and religious leaders, and grassroots stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.