2027: Tinubu Shuts Down Kaduna, as APC Flags off Presidential Campaign, Defends Economic Reforms

By Correspondent

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday October 24, 2026, formally flagged off the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign for the 2027 general election in Kaduna, drawing a large crowd of party supporters, government officials and political leaders from across the country.

The Kaduna Township Stadium was filled to capacity, with supporters spilling onto Independence Way and adjoining boulevards around the venue. Party faithful began arriving as early as 6 a.m., dressed in APC-branded clothing and outfits bearing Tinubu’s photographs and the party’s broken-shackles symbol.

APC governors, including Senator Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, federal ministers, members of the National Assembly, members of the party’s National Working Committee and other government officials attended the rally. Musicians entertained the crowd as supporters chanted slogans in praise of their governors and the president.

Tinubu arrived at the venue in a coaster bus alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other dignitaries, receiving a rousing welcome from supporters chanting, “Baba Oyoyo.”

Addressing the gathering, Tinubu appealed to Nigerians to renew his mandate in 2027, promising to sustain his administration’s economic policies and pursue prosperity, development and improved opportunities for young people.

The president thanked Kaduna residents for supporting him in the 2023 presidential election, saying he had returned to seek another four-year term to consolidate the policies and programmes of his administration.

“I come again to thank you for that again, to seek your mandate for the second term, to keep a promise of prosperity, continuity, progress and development,” he said.

Tinubu defended his administration’s economic reforms amid public concerns over hunger, poverty and the rising cost of living. He blamed previous administrations for some of the challenges his government was addressing and defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, describing it as a policy of the past.

He also pledged to tackle corruption, fraudulent invoicing, smuggling and dishonesty, while highlighting the regular payment of salaries and the development initiatives being implemented by APC-controlled states.

Calling on supporters to mobilise ahead of the January 16, 2027 election, Tinubu urged them to vote for APC candidates at the presidential, governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly levels.

“Your prosperity is here. Your future is in your hands. Your fingerprints on the ballot will determine it,” he said, cautioning supporters against misinformation and attempts to mislead voters.

Governor Uba Sani, in his remarks, thanked the president for federal interventions in transportation, education, healthcare, agriculture, security and human capital development, which he said had brought renewed hope to Kaduna State and other parts of Northern Nigeria.

The governor highlighted the reconstruction of the 123-kilometre Kaduna–Birnin Gwari Road, stating that ₦178 billion had been released for the project, which he described as having been abandoned for more than 40 years.

He recalled Tinubu’s visit to Birnin Gwari during the 2023 presidential campaign despite security concerns, saying the president had promised to improve security along the corridor.

“Today, you can travel to Birnin Gwari without a police escort. That is progress, Mr President, and we thank you for it,” Sani said.

He added that more than 300 schools and over 150 primary healthcare centres previously shut down because of insecurity in Kaduna State had reopened.

Sani also acknowledged the ongoing reconstruction of the Zaria–Soba–Kambuwa Road and the proposed Kaduna metropolitan light rail project. According to him, $865 million had been approved for the rail project, while China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation had been mobilised with $300 million.

On education, the governor said the North-West had received ₦84 billion through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, supporting approximately 414,000 students across the region.

Director-General of the Tinubu presidential campaign, Senator AbdulAzeez Yari, said Kaduna was selected to host the flag-off because of its political significance in Northern Nigeria.

Yari commended Governor Sani and other APC leaders for organising the event, describing the turnout as a reflection of the efforts of party members nationwide.

He also defended the administration’s agricultural and economic policies, claiming that about two million farmers had indicated their willingness to support Tinubu in 2027 because of measures taken to improve their livelihoods.

On the economy, Yari said Nigeria’s foreign reserves had risen from approximately $33.9 billion when Tinubu assumed office to about $54.7 billion.

He called on traditional rulers, Islamic scholars, imams and community leaders to mobilise support for the president, arguing that continuity was necessary for national development and peace.

“By God’s grace, Northern Nigeria is 101 per cent behind you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we are determined to deliver our promise in the 2027 general election,” he said.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking at the rally, said the APC had demonstrated its commitment to national unity and development through cooperation between the Federal Government and state administrations.

Shettima said Nigerians voted for the APC in 2023 because they believed the alternative at the time would have been disastrous for the country.

He praised Governor Sani for promoting unity in Kaduna State, saying residents from different communities increasingly had opportunities to regard one another as brothers and sisters, with the benefits of democracy extending beyond the state capital.

The vice president also highlighted federal interventions in education, including the establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia and the conversion of the Federal College of Education, Zaria, into a university of education.

He further listed major infrastructure projects being continued or implemented under the Tinubu administration, including the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline, the Kano–Maradi railway, the Lagos–Kano rail corridor and the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway.

Shettima also appealed to Northern Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing the president’s past political relationships with northern leaders and his support for political figures from the region.

The Kaduna rally marks the formal commencement of the APC’s presidential campaign activities for the 2027 general election, with Tinubu seeking a second term amid continuing national debate over his economic reforms, the cost of living and the direction of the Nigerian economy.