2027: Tinubu to Kick Off Campaign in Kaduna Oct. 24, ADC Inaugurates PCC
*Yari claims president controls over 10 states each in north, south
Deji Elumoye and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, yesterday said President Bola Tinubu will commence his 2027 re-election campaign in Kaduna on October 24, declaring that the President commands support in more than 10 states each in the northern and southern parts of the country.
This comes as former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar yesterday inaugurated the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), charging members to mobilise Nigerians across the country and present the party as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, Atiku said the council had a responsibility to take the party’s message to every market, motor park, farm, campus and community, listen to citizens and explain how the ADC intended to address the country’s challenges.
Yari, disclosed the date for the commencement of the President’s campaign after meeting with Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, where he briefed the President on preparations for the forthcoming campaign and the proposed timetable for state visits.
The former Zamfara State governor expressed confidence in the APC’s geographical reach, arguing that Tinubu had a broader national support base than his main challengers, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Today, I’m sure Asiwaju has control of more than 10 states in the South, in the conservative estimate, more than 10 states in the South, and I believe he has control of more than 10 states in the North. This is calculation, it is not rocket science,” Yari said.
He also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic record, arguing that the government had made progress since assuming office more than three years ago and would use its policies and achievements to seek another term.
“President Bola Tinubu, since the time he assumed office, has turned around the situation that he met on the ground. Still, the economy is moving. So, I think we have done enough that we can tell our opponents about what we did. We are not promising. We are doing it, and we are going to continue,” he said.
Yari, however, questioned the geographical strength of Atiku and Obi, challenging them to identify states where they commanded comparable political support across the country.
He argued that a presidential candidate needed a broad national support base to win, citing the experience of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who enjoyed substantial support in the North but struggled to secure sufficient backing in the South during his earlier presidential bids.
“This calculation shows us that even if you have control of 80 per cent of the South, if you don’t have anything in the North, you cannot make it. If you have 80 per cent of control of the North, if you don’t have any state in the South, you cannot make it,” Yari said.
He added that Tinubu had, at different times, supported both Atiku and Obi in their political careers, expressing confidence that the President would retain the support needed for his re-election bid.
On the campaign timetable, Yari said the APC Presidential Campaign Council would hold its inaugural meeting on October 14, while the formal campaign flag-off would take place in Kaduna on October 24.
He said the President had approved the proposed schedule for campaign activities and state visits, adding that further details would be made public after the council’s inauguration.
“The inaugural meeting is going to be done on the 14th of this month, that’s next Wednesday at the State House Banquet Hall, and by God’s grace, on the 24th of October, we’re going to do our flag-off campaign in Kaduna,” he said.
Yari added that Rivers State and Maiduguri would be among the subsequent stops on the campaign trail, with the APC planning visits to other parts of the country.
He said the campaign would focus on presenting the administration’s record and mobilising support for Tinubu’s second term.
The campaign preparations come as political parties intensify activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the economy, cost of living, security and the credibility of the electoral process expected to feature prominently in the contest.