2027: North Will Repay Tinubu — Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has declared that Northern Nigerians will reward President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with votes in the 2027 presidential election, citing the administration’s interventions in infrastructure, security, education and agriculture.

Sani made the declaration on Saturday while addressing supporters at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off rally at Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna.

The governor also challenged an unnamed Northern presidential aspirant seeking to unseat Tinubu to present a track record of achievements, insisting that regional identity alone was insufficient to earn the presidency.

“When someone came to us and said we should vote for him simply because he’s a Northerner, we asked him, ‘ Can you show us a track record?” Sani said.

Defending Tinubu’s performance, the governor recalled the President’s December 27, 2022, campaign visit to Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, which he described as a major insecurity hotspot at the time.

According to Sani, Tinubu had promised during the visit to reconstruct the 123-kilometre Kaduna–Birnin Gwari Road and address insecurity along the corridor.

He said the Federal Government had made significant progress on both commitments.

“Today, I can assure you that the two promises you made, I’m happy to say that you have fulfilled the promises,” the governor told Tinubu.

Sani also disclosed that N100 billion had been released to the contractor handling the road project.

The governor further claimed that more than 300 schools and over 150 primary healthcare centres that were shut down because of insecurity in 2023 had reopened.

He commended the Federal Government’s reconstruction of the Abuja–Kaduna Expressway, claiming that about 95 per cent of the project had been completed.

Sani also cited the proposed 50-kilometre Kaduna metropolitan rail project, for which he said $865 million had been approved, alongside the ongoing reconstruction of the Zaria–Soba–Funtua Road, as evidence of the administration’s infrastructure investments.

On education, the governor highlighted student loans, vocational training and youth empowerment initiatives, arguing that the programmes were expanding opportunities for young people in the North.

He cited figures on support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), though the amounts varied across his remarks.

Sani also praised the administration’s agricultural interventions, saying they were helping farmers and supporting livelihoods across the region.

Urging Northerners to assess Tinubu based on his performance rather than regional sentiments, the governor said the President deserved another term.

“We are voting for a promise keeper to continue with the good work he is already doing in Kaduna State and in the North in general,” he declared.

Sani added: “The people of Northern Nigeria will repay you with their votes. You have shown love, Mr President.”

The governor also warned APC supporters against underestimating opposition parties, accusing them of moving beyond Facebook and X to using artificial intelligence (AI) in their campaigns.

He urged party members to remain vigilant, arguing that opposition campaigns were relying on digital content rather than substantive political engagement.

The Kaduna rally marks the formal launch of the APC’s campaign for Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 presidential election.