Tinubu Flags Off 2027 Campaign In Kaduna, Blames Opponents For Hunger, Poverty
By Sunday Etuka
President Bola Tinubu opened his campaign for the 2027 general elections on Saturday at the Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna, where he asked voters for a second term and placed responsibility for Nigeria’s hunger and poverty on his political rivals.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did,” the President told the crowd. “They created hunger; they created poverty. We are trying to eradicate it.”
The remark appeared aimed at Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, who was vice president from 1999 to 2007.
During those years, many state-owned enterprises were privatised, and thousands of laid off workers were left without gratuities and pensions. Tinubu’s administration has been paying those workers.
Before the rally, the President inaugurated an 81-kilometre section of the Kaduna to Abuja highway with a symbolic ribbon cutting.
Minister of Works Dave Umahi, who spoke at the event, said the stretch is Lot 1 of the Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano dual carriageway, and he described other projects the administration is carrying out in the North West and elsewhere in the country.
Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called Kaduna the city of leaders and the political headquarters of the northern region.
He thanked its people for backing him in 2023 and urged them to vote for him again, pointing to his record of investment in economic infrastructure in the state and across the North.
Vice President Kashim Shettima said the President remains committed to national unity, democratic stability and economic development, and he asked Nigerians to support the administration for the sake of continuity.
He noted that Tinubu had backed northern candidates in earlier elections, among them former President Muhammadu Buhari, who won in 2015 and 2019.
He added that Tinubu had also supported northern leaders such as Atiku Abubakar and Nuhu Ribadu, which he said reflected loyalty, mutual respect and a commitment to unity. Such relationships, he said, had strengthened the APC.
“We won the last election because you saw the best option before you,” Shettima said, telling Kaduna residents that their choice had helped make the state a unified place.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani thanked the President for supporting state governments in carrying out their development priorities.
He said cooperation between the federal and state governments is essential for sustainable progress in infrastructure, agriculture and citizen welfare.
He also praised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her work on behalf of women, children and families.
The governor urged party supporters to guard against misinformation during the campaign, especially misleading social media posts and content allegedly produced with artificial intelligence.
Abdulaziz Yari, Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said he was confident the party could mobilise support for Tinubu.
He thanked Governor Sani and other stakeholders for organising the flag off. Yari, a former Zamfara State governor, defended the government’s economic reforms, citing developments in the foreign exchange market, and asked Nigerians to judge the administration on its policies and performance.
He also warned supporters about misinformation and expressed confidence in the party’s organisation and track record.
The rally drew Vice President Shettima, the wives of the President and Vice President, APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, 32 APC governors, former party chairman Senator Adamu Abdullahi, former Kano governor Abdullahi Ganduje and other party leaders.
