The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has announced that President Bola Tinubu will formally flag off his 2027 re-election campaign in Kaduna on October 24.
Yari also expressed confidence in the President’s electoral prospects, claiming that Tinubu commands political support in more than 10 states each across northern and southern Nigeria.
He disclosed this on Friday 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 visits to states across the country.
According to Yari, the APC Presidential Campaign Council will hold its inaugural meeting on October 14 at the State House Banquet Hall before commencing the campaign activities.
“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.
The former Zamfara State governor said the President had approved the proposed schedule, adding that Rivers State and Maiduguri would be among the subsequent destinations on the campaign trail.
Yari maintained that Tinubu had a broader national support base than his major challengers, including 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 argued that winning the presidency required a broad geographical spread of support rather than overwhelming popularity in only one region.
Yari cited the experience of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who enjoyed considerable support in northern Nigeria but faced challenges securing 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,” he said.
The APC campaign chief also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, insisting that the government had made progress since assuming office in May 2023.
He said the administration would campaign on its record and seek a renewed mandate to continue implementing its policies.
“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,” Yari said.
He further questioned the geographical strength of Atiku and Obi, challenging them to demonstrate comparable levels of support across the country.
Yari also recalled that Tinubu had supported both politicians at different points in their political careers, expressing confidence that the President would retain the backing required to secure re-election.
Meanwhile, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has inaugurated the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, charging its members to mobilise Nigerians nationwide and position the party as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, Atiku urged council members to take the party’s message to markets, motor parks, farms, campuses and communities across the country.
He said the council must engage citizens directly, listen to their concerns and explain how the ADC intends to address Nigeria’s challenges.
The inauguration signals an intensification of political activities as parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
The economy, rising cost of living, insecurity and the credibility of the electoral process are expected to feature prominently in the campaigns.
