First the crowd. It was massive passionate and unrelenting. All massed in and around the Ranchers Bees Stadium in the heart of Kaduna metropolis.
Every centimetre in adjoining streets was taken up by eager supporters many of whom had arrived overnight.
Some waved some sang and danced to the drum beats dished out by excited supporters.
Dauda Kahutu Rarara the singer was also on hand doing what he knows best. Vice President Kashim Shettima could not resist some dance steps.
That was the scene in Kaduna yesterday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) launched its presidential campaign for next year’s election.
Addressing the party supporters President Bola Tinubu accused opposition politicians of attempting to exploit hunger and poverty as campaign weapons ahead of the elections alleging that they were responsible for creating the economic difficulties they now seek to use against his administration.
The President said his administration was working to reverse the hardship inherited from previous governments and lay the foundation for sustainable prosperity.
Tinubu dismissed criticisms of his economic policies by opposition figures and insisted that those complaining most loudly about hunger and poverty were responsible for the conditions they now sought to capitalise on for political advantage.
‘I have an argument. I hear my opponents talking about hunger poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger. They created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it’ he said.
His administration he stressed has demonstrated its commitment to improving the welfare of Nigerians through economic reforms regular payment of salaries and development initiatives being implemented by APC governors across the federation.
He said the APC is offering Nigerians a credible path to economic recovery growth and opportunities rather than what he described as the anger and failed policies of its political opponents.
‘This is not a matter of anger. This is not a matter of hunger either. Our opponents are angry because they are failures. They have nothing to offer you but we have prosperity consistency growth recovery and opportunity. I assure you’ he told the cheering crowd.
Tinubu expressed confidence that the policies of his administration would translate into greater prosperity and improved living conditions for Nigerians.
He told supporters that his decision to seek another mandate was anchored on his commitment to consolidating ongoing reforms sustaining development and delivering the benefits of policies already introduced by his government
‘My good people of Kaduna it’s good to be back here again. You’ve listened to many speeches. I’m not going to bore you down. I’m happy that I’m here’ he said.
The President thanked the people of Kaduna State for their support in the 2023 presidential election describing their contribution to his emergence as President as a source of enduring gratitude.
‘You gave me joy to remember the victory you gave me to become President. I come again to thank you for that and to seek your mandate for the second term to keep a promise of prosperity continuity and progress development’ he declared.
He assured Nigerians particularly young people that his administration would continue to create opportunities and pursue policies designed to secure a better future for the next generation.
Addressing the younger population of Nigeria Tinubu said his second term would be devoted to consolidating the foundations of prosperity and ensuring that more Nigerians benefited from the government’s economic programmes.
‘To you the children of our country it’s a promise of second-term prosperity. You win. You will not regret going to vote’ he assured them.
The President also used the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to the removal of petrol subsidy declaring that the controversial policy belonged permanently to the past.
He insisted that the government would not return to the system which he associated with corruption manipulation of invoices smuggling and other abuses that had undermined the nation’s finances.
‘Fuel subsidy is in our past. No more corruption. No more falsification of invoices no more lies no more smuggling’ Tinubu stated.
He maintained that the sacrifices associated with the reforms would ultimately produce a stronger economy and better opportunities for citizens.
‘You grant me the privilege to promise you once again there is that promise of a better tomorrow’ he added.
Tinubu praised APC governors for what he described as their commitment to development and responsible governance particularly in ensuring the regular payment of workers’ salaries and implementing projects across their respective states.
He said the governors had demonstrated that the ruling party remained committed to improving the lives of Nigerians at the subnational level.
‘We pay salaries regularly. Our governors are working. I am proud of them. They are developing.
‘I salute all our governors today. Out of 36 of them I can see the development strides they are making in their various states. They are paying salaries regularly’ the President said.
The President called on Nigerians to reject what he described as misleading narratives being promoted by opposition politicians urging voters to assess his administration on its achievements and promises for the future.
He particularly emphasised the importance of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) repeatedly asking members of the crowd whether they had obtained theirs.
‘Do you have your PVC? Do you have your PVC? Show your hand. Your hands up’ he asked as supporters responded enthusiastically.
Tinubu urged eligible voters to participate actively in the January 16 2027 presidential election and support APC candidates at all levels.
‘Thank you for this massive showing up. It is a promise. Come January 2027 January 16 you must go out massively to elect me again.
‘APC all the way. APC for our governors APC for our senators APC for our honourable members of the House of Representatives and all Houses of Assembly’ he declared.
He reminded supporters that their votes would determine the country’s political direction urging them to remain vigilant against misinformation and attempts to mislead the electorate.
‘Your prosperity is here. Your full joy is in your hand. The fingerprint will reflect it. Be careful. Watch them. Don’t let them lie to you. What is in the past is the past’ he said.
‘North 101% behind you’ Yari assures Tinubu
The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Senator Abdulaziz Yari said at the rally that Northern Nigeria is united behind President Tinubu’s re-election bid and would deliver overwhelming support for him in the January 16 2027 presidential election.
Yari a former governor of Zamfara State said consultations across the northern states have produced a broad coalition of governors traditional rulers Islamic scholars and other influential stakeholders determined to secure another four years for Tinubu.
He told the President that the commitment of northern political leaders was absolute and would become evident when Nigerians cast their ballots in January.
‘Mr. President I want you to listen to us clearly. Northern Nigeria is 101 per cent by God’s grace for you Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Insha Allah’ he declared.
Yari said the APC was approaching the election with confidence because its campaign would be driven by the administration’s achievements rather than propaganda empty promises or attacks on political opponents.
He accused opposition parties of deploying artificial intelligence to circulate misleading information about Tinubu’s policies and performance maintaining that such tactics would fail against the evidence of what the government had accomplished.
According to him the opposition’s campaign of misinformation had particularly targeted the agricultural sector with claims that the President was indifferent or hostile to the interests of Nigerian farmers.
He said the Presidential Campaign Council had moved to counter the allegations through direct engagements with farmers explaining the administration’s interventions its achievements and its plans for improving agricultural productivity.
Yari announced that approximately two million farmers had consequently pledged to support Tinubu at the polls.
He said the farmers had accepted the explanations provided by the campaign organisation and committed themselves to mobilising votes for the President.
The APC campaign chief insisted that such direct engagement with citizens would remain central to the party’s strategy as it intensified political activities across the federation.
Turning to the significance of the Kaduna rally Yari said the decision to begin the presidential campaign in the state reflected its historical importance to the politics of Northern Nigeria.
He described Kaduna as the region’s political centre explaining that the choice of venue was carefully considered rather than accidental.
‘Today we are in Kaduna not by mistake. We deliberately chose this place to be your first place of call on this important gathering flagging off the campaign of APC for the 2027 presidential election’ he said.
He commended the APC governors for working collectively to ensure the success of the event revealing that several had arrived in Kaduna a day or two before the rally to participate in the preparations.
Yari particularly praised the host governor Senator Uba Sani for the extensive arrangements made for the campaign flag-off.
He said the collective involvement of the governors demonstrated the party’s organisational strength and the determination of its leadership to secure victory in 2027.
The former governor also used the occasion to defend Tinubu’s economic management arguing that the country’s economic indicators had improved significantly since the President inherited a difficult financial situation in May 2023.
He cited developments in the foreign exchange market the nation’s external reserves and other economic indicators as signs that the administration’s reforms were delivering results.
Yari specifically claimed that the naira had strengthened from a period when the exchange rate approached N1800 to the dollar to approximately N1300 describing the improvement as an important achievement.
‘Mr. President if I can remember at least a few from the exchange rate which was heading to 1800 today the exchange rate is reading about 1300 which is a remarkable achievement’ he said.
He expressed admiration for the President’s management of the economy suggesting that the scale of the changes recorded within three years was beyond what many people had considered possible.
According to him the administration’s progress was not limited to macroeconomic indicators but extended to infrastructure healthcare education human capital development and social welfare interventions.
He said the APC would take these achievements directly to the electorate allowing Nigerians to assess the administration on the strength of completed projects ongoing programmes and policies designed to improve living conditions.
‘As promised Nigerians at the head of this campaign we are going to campaign with our records. Our records are there. Infrastructure is there. What we did in health is there. Education is there. Human capital development is there’ he stated.
Yari also identified government support for students cash transfers and other interventions benefiting women and vulnerable Nigerians among the programmes the campaign would showcase.
He maintained that the party had sufficient accomplishments to present to Nigerians without resorting to the methods he accused the opposition of employing.
On preparations in Northern Nigeria the campaign director-general disclosed that APC leaders have been holding engagements with traditional institutions Islamic scholars imams and other respected personalities to build support for the President.
He said the consultations were intended to communicate the need for continuity in governance consolidate public confidence in the administration and strengthen the prospects of national peace and stability.
According to him influential political actors across the region had aligned themselves with Tinubu’s re-election project making the Kaduna gathering an important demonstration of northern support for the President.
Yari described APC governors as the President’s political commanders in the states saying their activities would be reinforced by the campaign council’s nationwide mobilisation efforts.
He assured Tinubu that the party’s structures at various levels would work together to deliver the electoral victory promised by its leaders.
Drawing a comparison between the APC and its opponents Yari argued that the ruling party possessed a decisive advantage in political experience having emerged from a tradition of electoral contests involving several political organisations.
He recalled the political journeys of leaders who participated in earlier parties including the Alliance for Democracy All Nigeria Peoples Party and Congress for Progressive Change before becoming part of the APC.
Works Minister David Umahi reeled out the administration’s achievements in road construction in the north.
These include the completion of more than 348 kilometres of roads in the North West alone and partial completion of 1800 kilometres.
A total of 4083 kilometres of roads out of about 17000 kilometres nationwide are being contrstructed he said.
A section of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project covering 81 kilometres of its 118-kilometre first section was commissioned yesterday by the president.
According to Umahi the first section was completed in 13 months while more than 144 kilometres of the 164-kilometre second section have been completed.
Umahi said the remaining 20 kilometres of the second section would be completed by the end of November.
He added that Tinubu had directed the installation of solar streetlights along the 375-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor.
The minister commended Tinubu for funding the projects and Kaduna Gov. Uba Sani for his efforts towards their completion.
The APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda presented the party’s flags to its governors and governorship candidates from the North-West geopolitical zone at the event.
Presented flags were Uba Sani – Kaduna State; Abba Kabir Yusuf – Kano State ;Dikko Umar Radda – Katsina State ;Nasir Idris – Kebbi State; Umar Namadi – Jigawa State; Ahmed Aliyu – Sokoto State;and Dauda Lawal – Zamfara State.
Yilwatda assured Tinubu that the APC leadership and its structures across the North-West were fully mobilised to deliver victory for the party in all elections scheduled for next year.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the party’s governors candidates and other stakeholders to secure electoral success across the region pledging that the ruling party would work towards an overwhelming victory at both the presidential and governorship levels.
The rally was witnessed by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu wife of the Vice President Hajiya Nana Shettima Senate President Godswill Akpabio Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas APC governors members of the National Assembly party leaders and supporters from across the country.
ADC unimpressed alleges low turn out
The opposition ADC described the turn out at the rally as low.
Spokesman for the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) Kola Ologbondiyan said the Kaduna rally failed to demonstrate the ruling party’s claimed political strength in the region.
He claimed that attendees were mobilised from the seven North-West states and beyond with payments reportedly ranging from ?50000 to ?100000 per person yet the venue remained sparsely occupied.
‘For a rally billed as the Northwest zonal flag-off what we witnessed was a shameful spectacle. Despite the alleged mobilisation of crowds from across the zone and beyond the stadium remained scantily filled with empty seats everywhere’ he said.
He also claimed that APC leaders received an unenthusiastic response from the crowd adding that some attendees allegedly chanted ‘Ba mu yi’ – translated by him as a rejection of the party and its policies – after leaving the venue.
‘You can rent a crowd but you cannot rent acceptance. Even if people attend a rally that does not mean they have surrendered their convictions. The real test of public support is what Nigerians will decide at the ballot box’ Ologbondiyan said.
ADC presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar responding to Tinubu’s speech at yesterday’s rally accused him of shifting responsibility for hunger and poverty to the opposition instead of addressing the economic hardship in the country.
Atiku speaking through the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council Phrank Shaibu described the President’s position as an attempt to evade responsibility insisting that Nigerians would judge his administration by their living conditions rather than campaign promises.
Atiku also criticised Tinubu’s reported commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway from a stadium describing it as an indication of the disconnect between the administration and the daily struggles of citizens.
‘A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon-cutting ceremony’ he said.