Campaigns have begun ahead of the 2027 general election. What are your expectations?
As one of the national leaders of our great political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), my expectations ahead of the 2027 general election are that the entire campaign is peaceful, rancour-free, vibrant, informative, expository and above all, issue-based. Candidates at all levels, especially the presidential candidates, should stimulate the polity with balanced and detailed appraisal of national issues. I expect candidates to sell themselves and their manifestoes. They should tell Nigerians their concrete, measurable plans for economic reforms, security, inclusiveness, food security, employment, functional education, healthcare, housing, industrialisation and other national issues. The opposition candidates should tell Nigerians empirically what they will do differently and what exact numerical and contextual outcomes we should expect from them with realistic achievable timelines.
What, in your estimation, are the advantages of the ruling APC over the opposition as the elections approach?
The ruling party APC is head and shoulders above the opposition parties with the sterling qualities of its visible and measurable achievements so far. This position is evidenced by the mass defection of politicians to the ranks of the ruling party, including, but not limited to, governors and ministers.
The fact that after many attempts, the electorate cannot tie these candidates to a particular expectation based on their consistent promotion of a defined and attractive ideology puts them at a great disadvantage. It follows, therefore, that the failure or inability to organise together and/or sell a widely acceptable manifesto even after many attempts at the Presidency at different elections speaks volumes of their unpreparedness to take the reins of power and govern the country better. The ruling APC, on the other hand, has become a beautiful political bride in the last 24 months, with many political stakeholders from every facet of national life joining or defecting to join its ranks. The list of testaments to the success of the ruling party in its about three years on the saddle includes, but is not limited to, governors, ministers, legislators, market women, youths, politicians; indeed, people from all walks of life are joining the APC, thanks to the incontrovertible records of its success so far.
North Central is one of the zones where elections will be keenly contested; do you see the APC winning massively in that area?
Yes. This is because we have a great understanding of the dynamics and power play of North Central politics. North Central is one of the regions in Nigeria that has highly educated, intelligent, detribalized, informed and astute politicians who cannot be pushed over or hoodwinked.
Today, the majority of these people are in the APC with their large number of followers and supporters. North Central remains the home to a huge number of non-indigenes who followed the river and agrarian trade to North Central. So our voters are very aware of the issues at stake and have decided this time to pitch their tent with APC.
For as long as it can be remembered in the civilian political annals of Nigeria, North Central has more federal appointees in this government, more than ever. I will not list them because this information is readily available in the public but let me add that these appointments held by North Central people are senior and high-ranking appointments in this government.
We will not be ungrateful to this President Bola Ahmed Tinubu- led administration for being so generous to us. We will also vote generously for the APC come elections in 2027.
On infrastructure, the Ajaokuta Steel Company was abandoned over the years, but the current administration has brought it back to life reasonably. A lot of federal roads have been worked on, and others are still under construction. See the work that the FCT Minister is doing in Abuja; it is legendary. The Federal Capital Territory is part of the North Central, not to mention the other six state executive governors are doing so well in their various states.
Recently, the Nasarawa State governor announced that governors have never had it so good as under this administration in terms of their statutory allocations, resulting in his being able to embark on massive infrastructural developments without taking loans. The region now enjoys a relatively efficient security architecture and effective response time, which was the bane in the past to combat insurgency and other security threats.
Recently kidnapped victims were rescued by the capable armed forces and police in various places in the North Central.
Why do you think the party will do well in the zone?
APC will do well because all the states in the North Central are well represented in this government. For example, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), APC National Chairman, NNPC Limited Managing Director, Deputy Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Chief of Army Staff, and many top executives are all from the North Central region. Other successes to mention include:
On the party structure and acceptance, there is no place in Nigeria that you would enter today where the APC is not well rooted. In fact, APC is a household name in every part of Nigeria. For instance, on 29th August, 2026, INEC displayed provisional governorship candidates; field checks confirmed that NDC has no candidate in 11 states, namely: Cross River, Borno, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and Akwa Ibom. Total: 233 LGAs, which will give you 30.1% of Nigeria’s 774 LGAs with no NDC governorship structure and party structure. NDC will field only 328 of 469 of the National Assembly seats; that is, about 141 federal constituencies will have no NDC. Note that we have 109 and 360 seats in both arms of the National Assembly, and these elections are held on the same date as the presidential election.
Also, Mr President’s robust economic policies are yielding positive results; as of August, Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves stood at approximately $53.2billion, making it the highest level in nearly 18 years and recently the national GDP increased by about 16%. That’s the micro-economy that naysayers are quick to say has not enjoyed the gains of democratic rule.
The president has done well with NELFUND (student loan), etc.
The security situation has improved in the region and, by extension, in Nigeria. North Central, before the coming of this administration, was the hotbed of Boko Haram, kidnapping and bombing sprees, even during festive seasons, but that has been stopped by this current administration. Farmers have now relatively returned to their farms. Those in IDP camps in the North Central are returning to their ancestral homes.
Tell us about your group, All North-Central for Asiwaju 2027
All North Central for Asiwaju 2027 (indigenes and non-indigenes) is the umbrella body for all North Central voters and the major political group celebrating the vast contributions of non-indigenes in the zone. That is why we have members from all walks of life. We are fast-growing to deliver the entire North Central for PBAT come 2027.
Our group cuts across all the nooks and crannies in the region, consisting of indigenes and non-indigenes, both at home and in the diaspora. It has a formidable structure in all six states and the FCT, Abuja, and we have state coordinators, local government areas’ coordinators, ward-level coordinators and polling unit representatives across the entire zone.
What effort is the group making to guarantee victory in the zone?
The All North Central for Asiwaju 2027 is basing our optimism of resounding success at the polls for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 on the dynamism of our in-depth grassroots political mobilisation machine and the concerted efforts of the All North Central political leaders under the leadership of amiable unifier and peacemaker Senator George Akume, Secretary of the Government of the Federation.
We have published a compendium of all the achievements of this present administration, including in the North Central, which will form the basis of our grassroots engagement and which we will make available to the other campaign groups through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as campaign material.
The compendium contains all successfully completed projects, excellent policy thrusts and their positive effects and impact, and timelines for the much-needed improvements in the standards of daily lives of Nigerians which the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has promised and is delivering already with the confirmed increase in GDP of over 4.43% year on year in Q2 2026 up from 3.89% in Q1 with the economy reaching N119.29 trillion. We have what it takes to guarantee victory in the zone because we are ensuring that the achievements of this government reach the grassroots, and we have capable people on the ground to disseminate the information.
Which opposition political party do you think poses serious challenges to the APC in North Central?
The opposition is like a ragtag army full of sound and fury but lacking the numbers and boots on the ground. The situation in the North Central is even sweeter because the narrative that the majority Christian communities will not support the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a fallacy.
There is no opposition political party which has the brawn to pose a serious challenge to the realisation of total victory for the APC and its candidates in the zone.
Election is not won on social media; it’s the people who will vote, and the majority of those people in the North Central are with Mr President because we appreciate the excellent work he is doing in the zone, and we want him to do more. We have covered a lot on the ground, and I can tell you confidently that Mr President will defeat all other candidates with a wide margin in our zone this time around.
Many have expressed concerns about the place of a Muslim-Muslim ticket in a Christian-dominated North-Central; how are you going to circumvent this?
The good people of the North Central zone have no religious extremism in our blood. We are moderate Christians in the majority with a progressive and peaceful outlook on national issues. We have seen the capacity of the APC and its candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to bring to North Central the elusive development and peace, including dividends of democracy, economic stability, improved security, and much more to the region. These milestone breakthroughs in the life of North Central happened under the Muslim-Muslim ticket of this present administration. The North Central people say ‘CARRY GO ASIWAJU’. The Muslim-Muslim ticket is not an issue in the North Central region. What is important to the people of North Central under the leadership of Senator George Akume is that we continue to enjoy an equitable share of the dividends of democracy and, above all, peace and security, and I declare unequivocally that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown capacity and capability to deliver on all counts.
Who are the top politicians sympathetic to your cause, and what influence do they wield in the Zone?
We are talking about the future of the North Central zone in the next dispensation, which will be for four years. We are talking about the lives of our women, youths, the elderly, farmers, traders and even the politicians themselves. We are fighting for our shared heritage and survival in the zone, whether you are a priest or a pagan, a saint or the devil, the guilty or the innocent, the high and mighty or the plebeian. We are discussing the man whose whims and caprices will determine the amount of our God-given abundant life we can enjoy. We are all affected and involved. Every well-meaning politician in the zone has joined hands with us because it is also their personal course. We are liaising with all political leaders in the zone; however, our loyalty and shared vision lie with our undisputed number One Leader of the North Central zone, Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
As you may already know, Sen. George Akume (SGF) is a household name in the zone, the balancer and unifier of the North Central zone. His influence goes beyond party loyalties in the arena of patrimonial loyalty, which cuts across members of political parties in the zone.
Senator George Akume is the father of all in the North Central Zone, and so he enjoys such a great amount of respect and influence with all and sundry to guarantee, with the collaboration of other key leaders, an overwhelming resounding win for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections for a well-deserved second term in office.
Other great leaders and men of timber and calibre gathering with Senator George Akume include, but are not limited to, the APC State Executive Committees, the entire North Central state governors and the FCT Minister, legislators, business moguls, etc, and these are indisputable top politicians with strong political influence.
How will you describe the present administration in terms of achievement?
This present administration has read the tides so well that even the master surfer would be envious of its dexterity at navigating complex, intractable national issues. On the scorecard, this administration has scored above average and is coasting home to breast the tape at good and well done before the swearing-in ceremony for a second term in 2027. This administration has done excellently well.
What are the key indicators you would ask for this wonderful verdict? I am willing to point out the successes that have been hard-won. I agree that the indicators have fared well and favoured the macro-economic sector, while the micro-economic indices showed a lot of dysfunction in the local economy.
The good news, as I said earlier, is that the economic reforms which were so largely criticised by the cartels who were benefiting from the status quo, and now cut out of their unholy gains, not to mention the citizens who saw commodity prices rising, have now acknowledged the consistent growth in the GDP of a whopping 4.43% in Q2 2026. This is worthy of commendation. This administration has taken Nigeria from the brink of recession to a growth trajectory, with the following indicators to show for it:
Stabilisation of the exchange rate regime; huge savings on oil subsidy removal and a huge increase in the country’s foreign reserves; starting the construction of over 440 roads nationwide, a lot have been completed; continuous review of wages and the implementation of a new national minimum wage of N70,000. Not to forget the student loan scheme, first of its kind in Nigeria (NELFUND); improved security and repeated success in tackling insurgency and terrorism and insecurity in general. Nigeria is safer now; food security; party structure and acceptance. There is no place in Nigeria that you would enter today and the APC is not well rooted. In fact, APC is a household name in every part of Nigeria. For instance, on 29th August, 2026, INEC displayed the provisional list of governorship candidates; field checks confirmed that NDC has no candidate in 11 (eleven) states. Namely Cross River, Borno, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and Akwa Ibom. Total: 233 LGAs, which will give you 30.1% of Nigeria’s 774 LGAs with no NDC governorship structure and party structure. NDC fielded only 328 of 469 of the National Assembly seats; that means about 141 federal constituencies will not have NDC candidates and presence. Note that we have 109 Senate seats and 360 seats in the Federal House of Representatives in the National Assembly; Mr President’s robust economic policies are yielding positive results, as at August, Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves stand at approximately $53.2Billion, making the highest level in nearly 18 years; the present administration has achieved a lot, and the majority of Nigerians can attest to that. For example, our foreign reserves as I said earlier has grown which is a sigh of financial discipline by this administration, our exchange rate is now been control by the Apex bank on like before that individuals could determine exchange rate, Lagos – Calabar coast, student loan that have reduced financial pressure from parents/guardians swift security response across the country, robust international relations, Academic stability in our tertiary institutions and many more.
There are so many support groups for the Tinubu re-election. What is different about yours, and why didn’t you join existing groups?
All North Central (indigenes and non-indigenes) for Asiwaju 2027 support group is to galvanise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 in the North Central zone.
You are well aware of the peculiarities of the zone and the apathy to this administration before now. Until recently, when the targeted efforts of the President started to bear visible, commendable fruits in the North Central, the zone was bedevilled with severe, widespread insecurity, a failing economy, marginalisation, advent of opposition elements. All these are now a thing of the past.
The President has addressed all these problems, and the North Central has seen the silver lining behind the clouds. We are aiming to catch the sunshine after the 2027 elections and when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is sworn in for a second term in office. Our support group is dedicated like no other to the North Central Zone, and we are the only support group that is home to non-indigenes who form the bulk of the voting population in the North Central. Our group cannot be subsumed by another because our task is peculiar in nature, and only a specifically tailored strategy domesticated to the peculiarities of the zone can make headway and bring President Tinubu and APC the much-needed victory in the North Central zone.
As a group, what strategies do you have to garner support for President Tinubu’s victory in the North Central?
All North Central (indigenes and non-indigenes) for Asiwaju 2027 is a melting pot of not just ideas and commitments but also the diversity of the Confluence region of Nigeria. We are working at the grassroots with these complex diversities to bring our shared vision and commonality to the fore, pointing out the stake of every individual in the region and the roadmap for achieving it with the APC-led government of President Bola Tinubu come 2027. We propagate the gospel of the renewed hope agenda as it benefits the North Central zone, including: The grand success in the restoration of relative peace in the North Central. Farmers are returning to their farms, and the food basket of the nation will once again be full and overflow. Villagers in IDP camps have started resettling in their homes. Sustainability is ensured by community engagement, local intelligence sharing and measures to stop cross-border migration of cattle herders. The approach to conflict resolution is now military as well as economic opportunities and conflict prevention; this administration has boosted agriculture in the North Central and improved tremendously on infrastructure. A case in point is the revamp of the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill after many years of neglect; the North Central Development Commission of this administration is a game-changer and the anchor of renewed hope and development in the zone, instituted by President Bola Tinubu to ensure continuous grassroots social and infrastructural development even long after his second term in office. This will no doubt reduce poverty and neglect of certain remote areas.