Ibrahim Shekarau and former governors under Arewa for Asiwaju pledge to mobilise northern voters for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election, citing federal projects
2027: Shekarau, Ex-Governors Launch Northern Vote Mobilisation for Tinubu’s Re-Election
Newsheadline247
Former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and other prominent northern leaders have declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, insisting that the North is not being marginalised by the current administration.
The leaders, operating under the platform of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), said federal infrastructure projects, energy investments and educational interventions across the region would form the basis of their campaign to mobilise northern voters ahead of the 2027 general election.
Shekarau made the declaration when he led members of the group to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja to meet the party’s National Working Committee.
He said A4A was established to mobilise voters across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory for Tinubu’s re-election, adding that the group intended to increase the region’s contribution to the President’s electoral performance.
“The A4A concept is an idea put together to ensure the mobilisation of the teeming population up here in the North, 19 northern states, and the FCT,” Shekarau said.
He added, “We want to make sure the North, with the largest population and voters, is mobilised to ensure our numbers are not only repeated, but more than tripled.”
Shekarau, who served as Kano governor from 2003 to 2011, said the movement was concerned about voter apathy and had established 20 operational directorates, with coordinators appointed at state, local government and ward levels.
He said the group would take its campaign to communities across the region, publicising federal projects that supporters believe have not received sufficient attention.
“Many of us were positively surprised when the chairman rolled out the various projects and programmes carried out up North – most of which are unknown to the large population except in areas where they are occurring,” he said.
The delegation included former governors Tanko Jolly Nyame of Taraba, Joshua Dariye of Plateau, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, as well as the group’s secretary, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman.
Deputy Chairman of the A4A Board of Trustees, Senator Simon Lalong, described the group as a political reserve force bringing its experience to bear on the APC’s mobilisation efforts.
“Anywhere we see weakness, the reserves will step in with experience. We know that without the North, nobody wins presidential elections in Nigeria,” Lalong said.
The former Plateau State governor said the organisation comprised former governors, serving and former senators, ministers and former legislative leaders. He added that A4A would operate under the leadership of the APC.
Welcoming the delegation, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, cited federal infrastructure and education programmes as evidence of the administration’s investments in northern Nigeria.
Yilwatda said more than 3,000 kilometres of roads were either under construction or procurement across the region, listing projects linking Abuja and Kano, Maiduguri and Kano, Sokoto and Illela, and other northern communities.
He said the Abuja-Kano road covered 441 kilometres, while the Maiduguri-Kano corridor spanned approximately 560 kilometres.
“When I put the figures together, roads currently under construction or procured in the North alone stand at slightly over 3,000 kilometres,” the APC chairman said.
He also highlighted the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, saying the project could support power generation, industrial expansion and domestic energy supply across the region.
According to Yilwatda, improved gas infrastructure could help northern states develop independent power plants and local electricity grids, while supporting industrial activities, compressed natural gas supply, cooking gas distribution and fertiliser production.
The APC chairman further cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, saying students from northern states were among the major beneficiaries of the scheme and that access to student loans could help address educational barriers.
He urged A4A to organise a world press conference to publicise the projects and integrate its grassroots structures into the party’s mobilisation plans ahead of the 2027 elections.
“In just three years – not eight – President Tinubu has executed projects of this magnitude for us,” Yilwatda said.
The political leaders’ declaration coincided with the inauguration of the dualisation of the Lambata-Bida-Mokwa-Makera-Kontagora Federal Highway in Niger State by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
Umahi said the Federal Government was executing 5,500 kilometres of new and ongoing road projects nationwide, with Niger State accounting for 1,055 kilometres.
He described the highway as a potential fifth legacy road project of the Tinubu administration, citing its scale, reinforced concrete pavement and participation of the Dangote Group through the Federal Government’s infrastructure tax-credit scheme.
The minister said 162 kilometres of roads and 115 metres of bridges had been completed in the North-Central region. He also commended Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago for constructing more than 300 kilometres of roads, alongside over five flyovers and an underpass.
Umahi praised the governor for investing in infrastructure regardless of whether projects fell under federal or state jurisdiction, describing the approach as a commitment to development.
He attributed the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme to Tinubu’s economic reforms, which he said had created opportunities for investment in critical projects. He added that the highway would improve connectivity within Niger State and strengthen transport links between the North-Central region and other parts of the country.
Special Adviser to the President of the Dangote Group, Mansir Ahmed, said the company was pleased to participate in the highway project through the tax-credit scheme.
Ahmed described the road as a strategic economic corridor that would improve the movement of agricultural produce, commercial goods and industrial materials while connecting businesses to markets and creating opportunities for young people.
He said construction would use concrete pavement and begin from four locations to accelerate delivery.
Umahi urged residents to support the administration, arguing that continuity would allow the Federal Government to complete ongoing infrastructure projects and extend development across the six geopolitical zones.
With A4A promising an expanded grassroots campaign, the APC is seeking to consolidate its support in the North ahead of 2027. However, the group’s projected electoral gains remain a campaign objective, with the eventual outcome dependent on voter participation and the results of the election.
#Tinubu2027 #ArewaForAsiwaju #IbrahimShekarau #APC #Newsheadline247
