2027: North-West APC Endorses Tinubu, Offers Automatic Tickets For Incumbent Govs

The All Progressives Congress in the North-West zone on Saturday endorsed President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The zone also offered automatic tickets to all incumbent governors who would be seeking their second terms in office.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abas, moved the motion for the endorsement of the President, while Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Nasir Idris, seconded the motion, passing a vote of confidence in Tinubu for a second term in 2027.

This was after the Kaduna State Governor and APC North-West Coordinating Governor, Senator Uba Sani, called upon Speaker Abas to step forward before the gathering to move a motion for the endorsement.

According to the speaker, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to witness history. My name is Abbas Tajudeen, the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, and I moved on behalf of the entire APC family of the North-West Zone Stakeholders to emphatically motion a vote of confidence in our dear President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, for his progressive governance, improving leadership and his unwavering support for the socio-economic development of the North-West geo-political zone and, in so doing, unequivocally endorsed him as our only preferred candidate for the 2027 elections. I do!”

The Speaker later put the motion to a voice vote for the stakeholders, where they all overwhelmingly affirmed the endorsement of the president for continuity in 2027.

In return, all the APC governors in the Northwest Zone were offered automatic tickets for a second term in the 2027 governorship elections, as announced by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, in his address to the gathering.

According to Ganduja, there is “no vacancy” in Aso Rock come 2027.

Thereafter, a communique on behalf of stakeholders from the zone was read by the Kaduna helmsman, Governor Uba Sani.

The party leaders, including the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; three governors of Kaduna, Uba Sani, Jigawa, and Namadi and Kebbi, Nasir; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abas; ministers; and party executives, overwhelmingly declared their support for the president during the APC North-West Zone Stakeholders Meeting, which was held at the Indoor Sports Hall of The Late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Hall, Murtala Square, Kaduna, on Saturday.

Governors of Katsina and Sokoto states sent their representatives.

Among other party faithful at the gathering are Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, and Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal.

Others are a former Speaker & governor of Katsina, Bello Aminu Masari; former senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial, Shehu Sani; former Gov. of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima; former House of Representatives members from the zone; former governor of Zamfara, Mahmud Shinkafi; and former governor of Kebbi, Senator Adamu Aliero.

The Chairman of State Chapters, state and federal legislators, as well as ministers and heads of federal agencies, including senior political appointees, were also at the meeting, themed “Consolidating on our gains, facing the future together.”

The foundation for the endorsement of the President was laid when the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, while addressing the stakeholders, asked, “Aso Rock?” The stakeholders responded by saying, “No vacancy.”

With the response from the gathering, Senator Barau said, “So it is clear in 2027, we are going to have a landslide victory, inshallah. So let us continue on the way we are going. Let us continue to cooperate with one another, work with the president, work with everybody, and cooperate amongst ourselves so that we have the desired victory.”

He said the defection of stalwarts of the opposition political parties to the party (APC) was a result of the performance of President Tinubu in addressing the challenges bedevilling the country.

“This is not happening for nothing. There are reasons for this. What are the reasons? Number one is the performance of our dear president. The president, of course, inherited a lot of challenges bedevilling our country. But he has come up with programmes and policies to surmount these challenges.

“Security challenges, economic challenges – name them. We’ve seen how he has dealt with our problem, our security problem—the security we’ve been facing in the North West. Several areas were not accessible before now. You could not go to some areas before now. But now you can go to some places; you can travel from Abuja to Kaduna. This was quite impossible before he came to power.

“Similarly, before this administration, you could not go to Birnin Gwari, but life has returned to the area. The people have returned to their farmlands

“Several areas that were not accessible are now accessible. We know we are not where we want to be. We are not there yet. We are not finally there yet. But it’s a work in progress. Mr President is working hard, day in and day out, to surmount this country’s insecurity problem, particularly in the North West. It is a work in progress. It is easy to have problems, but it’s not easy to solve them.

“And of course, that is not alone. That is not the only reason why we are having these influxes to our party. The performance of our governors. Our governors are doing well, working day in, day out,” he said.

He added that “the chairman, the national chairman of our party, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is leading all the party leaders in the country to bring about these improvements we are witnessing in the APC. We are all here as brothers and sisters.

“So let us continue to cooperate amongst ourselves, work amongst ourselves, and do all that is humanly possible to bring about the needed development to our people so that our party can grow stronger and stronger.

“So that by 2027, we will not have any problem in making sure that we have the expected victory that we are beginning to see. Because, as we speak, it looks as if you don’t have any other political party in the country, or even in the northwest. So it is always said.”

Speaking further, Ganduje emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was committed to the development of the North-West, the entire region and, by extension, Nigeria.

He said the commitment has been demonstrated through his several intervention projects ranging from infrastructure, agriculture and social development across the Northern region, emphasising that the establishment of the North West Development Commission was a clear indication that the president loves the North West Region.

“We have started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel”, Ganduje stated, saying, “There is no vacancy in Aso Rock Villa come 2027.”

Earlier, the Speaker said the defection of stalwarts of the opposition to the APC was an indication of the growing confidence of Nigerians in the party and President Tinubu.

“To enhance our election efforts, it is crucial to strengthen grassroots mobilisation at the local level. Furthermore, as we look to the future, we must continue to integrate and involve more young people and women in the party, as they comprise a significant portion of the population. Their involvement is crucial for achieving future political success.

“At the National Assembly, we are committed to championing legislation aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda, advancing bills on infrastructure financing and development, security reforms, and incentives for the digital economy. This support has been pivotal in passing landmark measures, exercising robust oversight over the executive and representing the interests of our people.

“With the 2027 general election approaching, we must intensify grassroots mobilisation, consolidate our legislative gains, and engage new constituencies, especially youth and women, through empowerment programs,” he said.

At the close of the meeting, the host governor, Uba Sani, however, invited the Speaker House of Representatives and the Deputy Senate President to move for the vote of confidence and endorsement of the president, which was seconded by Governor Umar Idris of Kebbi State and followed by a voice vote affirming the endorsement.

Meanwhile, in a communique read by the APC North West Coordinating Governor, Senator Uba Sani, after the meeting, the zone reaffirmed its loyalty to the APC and pledged ”full support for President Tinubu’s vision to deliver prosperity, equity, and lasting change for all Nigerians”.

”We thank and commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his purposeful leadership, bold reforms, and unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s progress, especially in the North West zone.

”Under President Tinubu, security in the North West has significantly improved, enabling farmers to return to their fields and communities to regain peace and stability,” Governor Uba Sani said.

According to the communique, ”our zone enjoys unprecedented federal representation with 12 ministers, key national assembly positions, and top security appointments – a clear sign of inclusiveness and recognition”.

The stakeholders noted that ”major infrastructure projects are being completed or are underway across the North West, marking a new era of development in our region.”

The meeting pointed out that “APC continues to grow in strength, unity, and national appeal, due to Nigerians’ appreciation of the President and our APC Governors.”