Kaduna APC urges North to back Tinubu over past support

The Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has urged northerners to vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, saying the President deserves their support for backing northern politicians who aspired to lead the country.

The party also declared that Kaduna was ready to host the flag-off of Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign on October 24, expressing confidence that the state would deliver two million votes for the President.

The APC State Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Haruna, said this at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday, citing Tinubu’s political alliances with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu.

Haruna said Tinubu had demonstrated a longstanding commitment to northern political aspirations and deserved reciprocal support from the region ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“It is on record that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of the few Nigerians in living memory who has shown and declared support, both in action and in spirit, for northern Nigeria’s aspiration to lead Nigeria,” he said.

The APC spokesman recalled that Tinubu supported Yar’Adua’s political movement in the early 1990s and backed his presidential ambition during the Social Democratic Party primaries in 1992.

He also cited Tinubu’s political support for Atiku in 2007 and Ribadu in 2011, adding that the coalition that produced the APC helped Buhari secure victory in the 2015 presidential election after three unsuccessful attempts.

Haruna said, “This is the only individual in the history of Nigeria that has supported the aspiration of northerners at different times to be the president of Nigeria.”

He urged northerners to reciprocate the gesture by supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

“Going by the antecedents of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am bold to say that it is we, the northerners, that owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu our support,” he added.

Haruna further argued that Tinubu’s relationship with Buhari during the latter’s eight-year administration demonstrated his respect for northern leadership.

“A lot of northerners during those eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari had cause to say negative things about the president then, but Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never for once castigated or condemned the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.

Explaining the choice of Kaduna as the venue for the campaign flag-off, Haruna described the state as the “heartbeat of northern Nigeria”, citing its historical significance as the former capital of the Northern Region and its ethnic and religious diversity.

“There is no better solidarity or show of love for northern Nigeria than the choice of Kaduna as the city to host the flag-off of the presidential campaign,” he said.

He added, “Anybody who chooses Kaduna for whatever action he wants to execute is not showing solidarity or love to the city of Kaduna alone; rather, he is showing that love to the whole of northern Nigeria.”

The APC spokesman expressed confidence that Governor Uba Sani’s administration would mobilise massive support for Tinubu and other party candidates in the 2027 elections.

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“The show that our able governor has promised Mr President that Kaduna State is going to produce two million votes for the President is not just a mere saying; it is a fact,” Haruna said.

He attributed the party’s growing support to what he described as Sani’s inclusive leadership, saying the governor had brought together people from different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.

Haruna claimed that the APC controlled all elective positions across the state’s 23 local government areas, 255 wards, 16 federal constituencies and three senatorial districts.

“Today, in Kaduna State, there is no elective position that is not manned by an APC person,” he said.

However, journalists challenged the claim, recalling that opposition parties won all three senatorial seats and 12 House of Representatives seats in Kaduna State during the 2023 general elections.

Asked whether the party’s assertion that there was no opposition in the state could breed complacency ahead of the 2027 polls, Haruna insisted that the political situation had changed under Sani’s administration.

“I want to tell you, there has never been a time in the history of Kaduna State where all parts of Kaduna State, all the 255 wards, all the 23 local government areas, all the 16 federal constituencies and three senatorial districts are controlled by one party until this time,” he said.

“If we say there is no opposition, it is not rhetoric; it is not a mere saying. It is a fact that is on the ground,” he added.

Haruna also blamed the APC’s electoral setbacks in 2023 on the governing style of a former governor accusing the administration of demolishing houses and markets, dismissing workers, and mishandling religious and ethnic differences.

“The election in Kaduna State in 2023 was a referendum on the governing style of the former governor of Kaduna State,” he said.

He maintained that Sani’s inclusive approach had strengthened the APC’s support base, including in parts of Southern Kaduna previously associated with opposition parties.

As part of preparations for the October 24 campaign flag-off, Haruna announced the establishment of a dedicated media centre to provide journalists with information on the event.

“All information relating to the flag-off of this campaign is going to be sourced and given from this centre,” he said.

He assured party leaders and supporters travelling to Kaduna that the state was prepared to host the event.

“We are ready, we are prepared, and our arms are open to welcome our guests on the 24th of October,” Haruna added.