The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified its efforts to secure support across northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, projecting that President Bola Tinubu could receive more than 70 per cent of the region’s votes.
Yilwatda made the prediction on Saturday during the commissioning of the Arewa for Asiwaju campaign secretariat in Abuja, where he called on northern residents to support Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
He said the President’s record in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other areas provided reasons for the North to support his administration. He also pointed to the position of Vice President Kashim Shettima as a factor in the appeal for continued support.
The APC chairman argued that the administration had pursued projects across the northern states, including major road construction, railway development, irrigation dams and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline.
He cited road projects linking Abuja, Kaduna, Kano and Maiduguri, as well as routes connecting parts of Niger, Kebbi and Sokoto states, saying the projects showed the administration’s attention to infrastructure in the region.
Yilwatda also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, healthcare initiatives and programmes intended to support pregnant women and other vulnerable groups. He maintained that the projects and policies should encourage voters to renew Tinubu’s mandate.
The party chairman expressed confidence that the President would receive more than 70 per cent of northern votes if APC supporters worked to secure victory in their respective hometowns and polling units.
He called on political leaders and supporters in the region to unite behind the Tinubu-Shettima ticket, describing the partnership as one that should be returned for another term.
The commissioning of the Arewa for Asiwaju secretariat forms part of the APC’s broader mobilisation efforts ahead of the election. The campaign group plans to coordinate activities from the national level down to states, local government areas, wards and polling units.
Former Kebbi State Governor and Director-General of Arewa for Asiwaju, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, said the group would take its campaign to communities across the North, including markets, farms, schools and places of worship.
Badaru said the administration’s investments in roads, bridges, railways, education and social support programmes would form key parts of its message to voters. He also pointed to the student loan initiative as a measure intended to widen access to higher education.
On security, he acknowledged that challenges remained but argued that progress had been made in some areas, allowing residents to return to farms and travel on roads that had previously been considered dangerous.
He said the campaign would involve governors, legislators, traditional institutions, youths and women as it seeks to build support for Tinubu’s re-election.
The Arewa for Asiwaju secretariat comprises a three-block complex with office space, a conference room and a situation room for coordinating campaign activities.
However, the projection of more than 70 per cent of northern votes remains the APC chairman’s political forecast, not an established election outcome. The level of support Tinubu receives in 2027 will depend on voters’ decisions, the performance of competing parties and developments during the campaign.
The APC’s mobilisation drive highlights the importance the ruling party attaches to northern Nigeria, a region with a large electorate and a significant role in determining the outcome of presidential elections.