Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has rejected suggestions that President Bola Tinubu is losing support in the North.
He says that the President could win as much as 70 to 80 per cent of the votes in Kaduna State in the 2027 presidential election.
Sani made the assertion during an interview with Channels Television, where he discussed the changing political landscape and the prospects of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the election.
The governor said reports of widespread disenchantment with Tinubu in the North were driven largely by political narratives and social media activity, rather than the mood of voters at the grassroots.
He maintained that voters would ultimately judge the Tinubu administration by its performance and the effect of its policies on their lives.
‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will move from 29 percent of votes to 70 to 80 percent,’ Sani said.
Kaduna was one of the key northern states won by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election. Atiku secured 554,360 votes in the state against Tinubu’s 399,293.
Sani, however, argued that the political dynamics had changed considerably since 2023, particularly with the movement of opposition politicians into the APC.
He pointed to developments in southern Kaduna, where several politicians who previously belonged to opposition parties have joined the ruling party, saying this could have a significant impact on the voting pattern in 2027.
The governor also highlighted federal projects and interventions in Kaduna under Tinubu, including the establishment of a Federal University of Science and Technology in southern Kaduna and the development of a federal medical centre.
According to him, such projects could strengthen the President’s standing among voters in the state.
Sani also acknowledged the contributions of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Kaduna governors, including Nasir El-Rufai and Ahmed Makarfi, to the state’s development, while stressing that Kaduna still needed more infrastructure.
Addressing questions about El-Rufai and the political divisions within the APC, Sani said he would focus on strengthening the party rather than engaging in personality-driven politics.
‘In Kaduna State, we don’t do politics of sentiment. I am not going to talk about any personality here. I am not here to speak about the former governor, Nasir El-Rufai. I respect him, I respect Makarfi, I respect Namadi Sambo, I respect Governor El-Rufai. They’ve done their best but in politics, I am here to fight for APC and I’m telling you what’s going to happen.’
He added: ‘I don’t do politics of sentiments. I’m not going to talk about any personality here. I respect him. I value him.’
The governor also urged Nigerians to scrutinise campaign promises and demand details on how politicians intend to finance their proposed programmes.
He said voters should not accept sweeping promises without asking candidates to explain how they would be implemented.
‘Someone will come and sit here and tell you that when I become governor, or when I become president, I will ensure that every student is given N10 million. You allow him to walk away without asking: how would you do it?’ he asked.
Asked whether the North was developing a political backlash against Tinubu, Sani responded: ‘No way. It is not possible.’
He predicted that Tinubu would perform strongly across the Northwest, Northeast and North-Central regions in 2027.
Sani also dismissed the notion that presidential candidates could build enough support through television appearances and social media alone.
‘You don’t contest with the President by campaigning in Abuja,’ he said, describing elections as ‘practical’ contests that require sustained engagement with voters at ward and grassroots levels.
The governor said the APC’s success in 2027 would depend largely on its ability to communicate the administration’s achievements and maintain a strong grassroots presence across Kaduna State and the wider northern region.