*Northern Political Leaders, Traditional Rulers, Islamic Clerics Solidly Behind You – Yari tells Tinubu
*’Yari Fails To Recognize Millions Of Voters In The Region … Interestingly, The Leaders He Mentioned Each Has Just One Vote Under Electoral Law 2026′
*Makinde To Tinubu: Nigerians Hungry Under Your Govt, Yet You Talk Of Foreign Reserves
Do not let anyone deceive you; fuel subsidy cannot be restored as it is gone for good.
That was the message President Bola Tinubu sent to Nigerians when he kicked off his 2027 re-election campaign in Kaduna yesterday (Saturday). A mammoth crowd turned out to witness the event.
The President’s message was obviously his direct response to the earlier promise by presidential candidate of opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who had told Nigerians that,if elected, he would bring back the policy of government’s subsidy of fuel so as to slash current prices of petrol,hovering around N1400 a litre.
Atiku’s promise was well received by Nigerians, especially in the vote-rich far North, where large families are a norm, most of whom had suffered tremendously since the subsidy was yanked off by Tinubu on 29 May, 2023, with the removal inflicting negative multiplier inflationary effects on prices of goods and services and triggering an unprecedented cost of living crisis in the country.
Shortly after Atiku made the promise, Tinubu’s administration dismissed it as mere propaganda.
On Saturday, Tinubu doubled down on the promise and pledged to give Nigerians a better tomorrow, urging voters to be careful not to be misled.
He urged them to remain vigilant and carefully assess the claims made by those seeking their support.
“Be careful, watch them, don’t let them lie to you,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu also defended his administration’s decision to end the petrol subsidy regime in 2023, describing the policy as part of the country’s past.
“What is the past is the past, fuel subsidy is in our past, no more corruption, no more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling of fuel,” he said.
The President told Nigerians that their prosperity and future were in their hands, stressing that their choices would determine the country’s direction.
“Your prosperity is here. Your future is in your hands, your fingerprints will reflect it,” the President said.
Tinubu called on Nigerians to give him another opportunity to lead the country, promising a better future if re-elected.
“May you give me the privilege to promise you once again of a better tomorrow,” he added.
Kaduna Filled For Tinubu
Kaduna metropolis was filled to the brim as from Friday when party supporters and government officials converged on the former capital of Northern Nigeria, for the flag-off of the 2027 APC presidential campaign, yesterday.
The township stadium burst at the seams as people spilled out of the campaign venue onto Independence Way and adjoining boulevards around the arena.
As early as 6 am on Saturday, party members massed at the event’s venue, wearing T-shirts with party colors and logos, as well as apparel of various designs, bearing President Tinubu’s picture or broken shackles symbol.
Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led state Governors, Ministers, members of the National Assembly, APC National Working Committee members, federal and state appointees were at the stadium.
Musicians kept the party faithful entertained as they waited for the event to kick off while supporters chanted the praises of their various governors and President Tinubu.
As President Tinubu arrived in a Toyota Coaster bus with Vice President Kashim Shettima, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other dignitaries, the crowd greeted him with a chorus of “Baba Oyoyo.”
Northern Political Leaders, Traditional Rulers, Islamic Clerics Solidly Behind You – Yari tells Tinubu
Also speaking, Director-General (DG) of the APC Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, assured President Tinubu of the support of Northern political leaders, traditional rulers and Islamic clerics for his re-election bid in 2027.
Yari failed to recognize the millions of voters in the region even as interestingly, the leaders he mentioned each has just one vote under the Electoral Law 2026, a political analyst noted.
He said the party had been engaging influential figures across the region to secure their support for Tinubu’s return to office, citing continuity and peace as reasons for backing the President.
“We have been engaging all and sundry, our traditional rulers, our ulama and our imams, to understand the importance of your return in 2027 for continuity, for the peace of this country and for Nigeria,” Yari said.
He told Tinubu that key political figures in the North had gathered for the campaign launch.
He expressed confidence that the region would support the President in the next election.
“We are fully behind you in Northern Nigeria, and by God’s grace, we will demonstrate our support for your re-election on January 16, 2027,” Yari said.
The APC chieftain described Kaduna as the spiritual centre of politics in Northern Nigeria.
He noted that the presence of governors from across the region reflected the importance of the campaign event.
Makinde To Tinubu: Nigerians Hungry Under Your Govt, Yet You Talk Of Foreign Reserves
Amid the promises, at another venue, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, told President Tinubu that foreign reserves figures being bandied about by Aso Rock as a key achievement of the Tinubu administration, cannot feed hungry Nigerians.
The governor spoke, also on Saturday, at the official launch of the Makinde and Daura for Better Nigeria (MAD) Resetter Movement in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Makinde is also the presidential candidate of opposition Allied People’s Movement (APM).
Makinde stated that the claim of the Federal Government on improved foreign reserves is meaningless when Nigerians are struggling with hunger and poverty.
“Reserves figures cannot feed hungry Nigerians,” Makinde told Tinubu.
He said the current economic realities have shown that the ordinary Nigerian is not feeling the impact of the government’s economic reforms.
Makinde urged President Tinubu to focus more on policies that directly impact the lives of citizens rather than quoting economic figures.
The governor noted that many families can no longer afford basic food items due to the rising cost of living.
He called on the Tinubu administration to prioritize food security and job creation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Tinubu waving to APC supporters in Kaduna… Saturday.
