Abdullahi Ganduje, immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that those who think northern Nigeria will not support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 are “making a big mistake.”
Ganduje made the remarks in Abuja on Friday while receiving a delegation of northern youth leaders from the 19 northern states during a courtesy visit.
“There is no better candidate to govern Nigeria beyond 2027 from the southern Nigeria than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Ganduje said.
“Pertaining to the next election in 2027, those that are nursing or thinking otherwise that the north will vote another candidate other than Asiwaju are making a big mistake.”
The former Kano State governor described Tinubu as the first president Nigeria is “lucky” to have, noting his political background and commitment to national unity.
“This is the first time Nigeria as a nation is lucky to have a politician as president; his constituency is politics, his upbringing is politics because he believes in the unity of this country,” Ganduje said.
“In fact, he struggled; he was even in exile for democracy to survive in Nigeria. So, there is no better person to be elected in 2027 than Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Ganduje recalled the pre-election agreement during the tenure of the late President Muhammadu Buhari that power would return to the south after eight years.
“Asiwaju has only been there for less than four years now, and we have seen the measures, the reforms that he undertook,” he said.
“The reforms that he introduced in order to improve the social economic development of this country.”
He further praised Tinubu for the bold decision to remove the fuel subsidy, a move avoided by previous governments and other 2023 presidential candidates.
“All the candidates who contested with him in 2023 promised to remove the fuel subsidy; even the previous government promised to remove the subsidy, but nobody was bold enough to do that job,” Ganduje said.
“But Asiwaju has succeeded in removing the subsidy, and now all the state governors, irrespective of their political leaning, believe they are getting more funds for the development of their states.”
Ganduje emphasized that the subsidy removal was aimed at national development, not to benefit APC governors alone.
“So, this president has undertaken measures that will improve the economy of this country,” he said.
He commended the northern youth leaders for their support in mobilising resources for Tinubu’s re-election.
“There’s no better commitment than this; you are contributing funds, your brain, your energy, and your time to ensure the re-election of Asiwaju,” Ganduje said.
Murtala Gamji, national leader of the forum, said the youths would mobilise across the 19 northern states to back Tinubu’s re-election.
“We have all agreed to support the re-election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by massively mobilising youths in the 19 northern states and to raise funds to buy his nomination form,” Gamji said.
He dismissed claims that the north would not support Tinubu in 2027.
“That’s a lie because nobody has supported us in the north like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Gamji said.
