The All Progressives Congress has promised Nigerians greater prosperity if President Bola Tinubu secures a second term in 2027, as a northern support group, Arewa for Asiwaju, targets the mobilisation of 10,000 supporters for the president’s re-election campaign flag-off in Kaduna State.
The campaign, scheduled to begin on Saturday, is expected to attract APC leaders, supporters and political stakeholders from across the country, with the ruling party intensifying efforts to consolidate its support base in the North ahead of the 2027 general election.
The Co-Chair of the APC Presidential Campaign Council’s Directorate of Women Mobilisation, Dr Betta Edu, said the administration had moved beyond the most difficult phase of its economic reforms and was approaching a period of prosperity.
Edu said the party would mobilise voters, particularly women and grassroots supporters, to secure another mandate for Tinubu.
According to her, the campaign team intends to mobilise “at least close to 40 million votes” for the president in the 2027 election.
She explained that the mobilisation strategy would involve direct engagement with voters in markets, communities and households, including peaceful door-to-door campaigns to explain the administration’s policies and appeal for support.
The former minister expressed confidence that Nigerians would give Tinubu another opportunity to continue his programmes, arguing that the benefits of the government’s reforms would become more evident with time.
Meanwhile, Arewa for Asiwaju said it was working towards bringing 10,000 supporters from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory to the Kaduna campaign flag-off.
The group disclosed this in a statement issued by its Head of Media Relations, Edwin Olofu, and Director-General, Mohammed Badaru, as part of efforts to demonstrate northern support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The mobilisation is expected to form part of the APC’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence across the North, a region with a significant share of Nigeria’s registered voters.
According to figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigeria has 103.43 million registered voters, with the three northern geopolitical zones accounting for approximately 56.01 million, or 54.2 per cent, of the total.
The North-West has 25.08 million registered voters, the North-Central 16.97 million, while the North-East has 13.97 million.
Kaduna State, the venue for the campaign launch, has approximately 4.66 million registered voters. Tinubu lost the state in the 2023 presidential election, making it a strategic battleground for the ruling party as it seeks to improve its performance in the region.
The APC has reportedly set a target of securing more than two million votes in Kaduna State in the forthcoming election.
Former APC National Vice Chairman for the North-East, Salihu Mustapha, who is associated with Arewa for Asiwaju, said the party believed its policies and political engagements had strengthened its position in the region.
He cited federal appointments, revenue allocations to states, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and the administration’s security policies as factors the party believes could help it attract voters.
Mustapha also compared the political situation with the 2015 election, when northern political leaders and voters played a significant role in the defeat of the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
Similarly, the Head of the Presidential Campaign Council’s Stage Organisation and Management, Farouk Aliyu, said the campaign would reach communities across the country to explain the administration’s reforms and appeal to Nigerians for patience.
Aliyu acknowledged that the contest would be challenging but expressed confidence that the APC could win if it effectively communicated its achievements and plans to voters.
However, the opposition has criticised the administration’s economic policies, insisting that widespread hardship could undermine Tinubu’s re-election prospects.
Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, said economic conditions would be central to voters’ decisions in 2027.
“This election is a bread-and-butter issue: it is about the economy,” Ibe said, arguing that Nigerians would use the ballot to express their dissatisfaction with the government.
He added, “Nigerians are feeling the pain, and they have resolved to vote out this government in 2027.”
The APC’s campaign council, inaugurated at the State House on October 14, is chaired by Tinubu, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, serving as vice-chairmen. Senator Abdulaziz Yari is the council’s Director-General.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, security personnel drawn from the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, state vigilantes and the Federal Road Safety Corps were deployed around parts of Kaduna, including Barnawa in Kaduna South.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), also led a security inspection ahead of the campaign launch.
The APC is expected to continue its campaign activities in other parts of the country, with Calabar, Gombe, Lafia and Ado-Ekiti among the locations listed for subsequent engagements in November.
The Kaduna rally is expected to provide an early indication of the party’s mobilisation capacity in the North as political parties begin positioning themselves for the 2027 presidential election.
