Governors from all 19 Northern states and senior federal ministers gathered in Kaduna on Sunday to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections. The stakeholders' forum, held at the Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Conference Centre, was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, and brought together delegates of the Northern Nigerian Women Ulama from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Key Figures Rally Behind Tinubu
Governors in attendance included Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Babagana Zulum of Borno State, and host governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State. Minister of Defence Alhaji Bello Matawalle and Minister of Housing Engr. Mustapha Rabe Darma were also present at the event.
As reported by Vanguard, the forum was centred on engaging the Women Ulama delegates, who have reportedly endorsed Tinubu for a second term. Governor Sani told attendees that the endorsement was based on concrete deliverables in education, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and skills development, rather than regional loyalty.
Data Shows Northern Benefits Under Tinubu
Governor Sani pointed to data from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme as evidence of the North's gains under the current administration. “If you go to the dashboard of NELFUND and TVET, Northern Nigeria has benefited to the tune of over 60 per cent. That is simply because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is detribalised. He is someone who believes in one Nigeria without discrimination,” he said.
Sani further claimed that no previous leader in Nigeria's history had delivered as much to the North as Tinubu had done, adding that this could be backed with verifiable data. He used the occasion to push back against politicians framing the 2027 contest along North-South lines, describing that approach as outdated.
The Kaduna governor argued that some figures now campaigning on regional sentiment had previously held positions such as the vice presidency, governorships, and ministerial portfolios without delivering comparable benefits to the region. He urged the Women Ulama to carry the message of support down to wards and local government areas across all 19 Northern states, describing grassroots mobilisation as central to the re-election effort.
Grassroots Mobilisation and Coalition Building
“We, as governors who are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are here to support them, to motivate them to do more and take their message to all the 19 Northern states, and all our wards and local governments,” Sani said. The forum closed with calls for broader coalition-building among governors, federal officials, religious leaders, and community stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Datti Baba-Ahmed, former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, made remarks during a TrustTV interview focused on political activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Baba-Ahmed credited Tinubu's 16 years of political organising as the foundation of his dominance, and compared Tinubu's position to Atiku Abubakar's, raising questions about the opposition's ability to mount a serious challenge.
