President Bola Tinubu will formally kick off his 2027 re-election campaign in Kaduna on October 24, the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has announced.
Yari, who disclosed this after meeting with Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, expressed confidence that the President enjoys substantial political support across the country, claiming that he commands support in more than 10 states each in the North and South.
The announcement comes as former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar inaugurated the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, urging members to mobilise Nigerians nationwide and position the party as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking after his meeting with Tinubu, Yari said the APC had begun preparations for the forthcoming campaign, including the President’s proposed visits to states across the federation.
He disclosed that the campaign council’s inaugural meeting would hold on October 14 at the State House Banquet Hall, ahead of the formal campaign launch in Kaduna 10 days later.
“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,” Yari said.
He added that Rivers State and Maiduguri would feature among the subsequent campaign stops, with further visits planned across the country.
The former Zamfara State governor maintained that Tinubu had a wider national support base than his major challengers, including Atiku of the ADC and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“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,” he said.
Yari also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, insisting that the government had made progress since assuming office and would campaign on its record rather than promises.
“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,” he said.
However, Yari challenged Atiku and Obi to demonstrate comparable geographical strength, arguing that a presidential candidate must secure substantial support in both northern and southern Nigeria to win a national election.
He cited the political experience of former President Muhammadu Buhari, whose strong northern support did not translate into victory during his earlier presidential attempts because of insufficient backing in other parts of the country.
“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,” Yari said.
He further claimed that Tinubu had supported both Atiku and Obi at different points in their political careers, expressing confidence that the President would retain the support necessary to secure a second term.
Meanwhile, Atiku has charged members of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council to take the party’s message to Nigerians across the country and convince voters that it offers a credible alternative to the ruling APC.
Speaking at the council’s inauguration in Abuja, the former vice-president said members must engage citizens in markets, motor parks, farms, campuses and communities, listen to their concerns and explain how the party intends to address the country’s challenges.
Atiku’s directive signals the ADC’s determination to intensify its mobilisation efforts as opposition figures position themselves for the 2027 presidential contest.
With the APC preparing to launch Tinubu’s re-election campaign and the ADC inaugurating its presidential campaign council, political activities are gathering momentum ahead of the next general election.
The economy, rising cost of living, insecurity and confidence in the electoral process are expected to feature prominently as parties seek to persuade Nigerians to support their candidates.
