By Newsheadline247
President Tinubu blames opposition parties for hunger and poverty as the APC launches its 2027 presidential campaign in Kaduna amid fresh criticism from ADC leaders
Tinubu Says Opposition Created Hunger at APC Campaign Launch
President Bola Tinubu has accused opposition politicians of creating the hunger and poverty they now criticise his administration over, as the All Progressives Congress launched its 2027 presidential campaign in Kaduna amid renewed political exchanges over economic hardship, government performance and the prospects of his re-election.
Addressing party supporters at the Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna, Tinubu defended his economic reforms, insisted that his administration was working to reverse the country’s difficulties and urged Nigerians to give him another four years to consolidate ongoing policies.
The rally attracted party leaders, governors, members of the National Assembly and supporters from across the country. Vice-President Kashim Shettima was among those at the event, where singer Dauda Kahutu Rarara entertained the crowd.
Tinubu, who thanked Kaduna residents for supporting him in the 2023 presidential election, accused opposition politicians of attempting to turn public frustration over economic conditions into an electoral advantage.
“I have an argument. I hear my opponents talking about hunger, poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger. They created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” the President said.
He maintained that the ruling party offered a path to economic recovery and prosperity, dismissing the opposition’s criticisms as lacking credible alternatives.
“This is not a matter of anger. This is not a matter of hunger either. Our opponents are angry because they are failures. They have nothing to offer you, but we have prosperity, consistency, growth, recovery and opportunity. I assure you,” he told the crowd.
The President said his decision to seek re-election was driven by a desire to sustain ongoing reforms, improve living conditions and deliver on promises made to Nigerians.
“My good people of Kaduna, it’s good to be back here again. You’ve listened to many speeches. I’m not going to bore you down. I’m happy that I’m here,” he said.
Tinubu expressed gratitude to Kaduna residents for their role in his emergence as president in 2023, asking them to renew their support.
“You gave me joy to remember the victory you gave me to become President. I come again to thank you for that, and to seek your mandate for the second term, to keep a promise of prosperity, continuity and progress, development,” he declared.
He also assured young Nigerians that a second term would focus on expanding opportunities and ensuring that more citizens benefited from the administration’s programmes.
“To you, the children of our country, it’s a promise of second-term prosperity. You win. You will not regret going to vote,” he said.
The President reaffirmed his commitment to the removal of the petrol subsidy, declaring that his administration would not return to the policy.
“Fuel subsidy is in our past. No more corruption. No more falsification of invoices, no more lies, no more smuggling,” Tinubu stated.
He argued that the sacrifices associated with the reforms would eventually produce a stronger economy and a better future for Nigerians.
“You grant me the privilege to promise you once again, there is that promise of a better tomorrow,” he added.
Tinubu also praised APC governors for what he described as their commitment to development and the regular payment of workers’ salaries, saying their performance at the state level demonstrated the party’s commitment to governance.
“We pay salaries regularly. Our governors are working. I am proud of them. They are developing.
“I salute all our governors today. Out of 36 of them, I can see the development strides they are making in their various states. They are paying salaries regularly,” he said.
The President urged supporters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate in the forthcoming elections, insisting that the ballot would determine the country’s political direction.
“Do you have your PVC? Do you have your PVC? Show your hand. Your hands up,” he asked.
He called on supporters to vote for the APC at all levels, including the presidency, governorships, the National Assembly and state legislatures.
“Thank you for this massive showing up. It is a promise. Come January 2027, January 16, you must go out massively to elect me again.
“APC all the way. APC for our governors, APC for our senators, APC for our honourable members of the House of Representatives, and all Houses of Assembly,” Tinubu declared.
He also warned supporters against misinformation, urging them to judge the administration by its policies and achievements.
“Your prosperity is here. Your full joy is in your hand. The fingerprint will reflect it. Be careful. Watch them. Don’t let them lie to you. What is in the past is the past,” he said.
Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, declared that northern Nigeria was firmly behind Tinubu’s re-election bid, claiming that consultations across the region had secured the support of governors, traditional rulers, Islamic scholars and other influential stakeholders.
“Mr. President, I want you to listen to us clearly. Northern Nigeria is 101 per cent, by God’s grace, for you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Insha Allah,” Yari said.
The former Zamfara State governor accused opposition parties of using artificial intelligence to circulate misleading information about the administration, particularly regarding its agricultural policies.
He said the campaign council had engaged farmers directly to explain the government’s interventions and counter claims that Tinubu’s policies were hostile to their interests.
Yari claimed that approximately two million farmers had pledged to support the President following the engagements, although the figure was not independently verified in the information provided.
He said the APC intended to campaign on its record rather than rely on propaganda or attacks against its opponents.
“Today, we are in Kaduna not by mistake. We deliberately chose this place to be your first place of call on this important gathering, flagging off the campaign of APC for the 2027 presidential election,” he said.
Yari described Kaduna as a strategically important political centre in northern Nigeria and praised Governor Uba Sani and other APC governors for their preparations for the rally.
He also defended the administration’s economic management, citing developments in the foreign exchange market, external reserves and infrastructure as evidence of progress.
Yari claimed that the naira had strengthened from a period when the exchange rate was approaching N1,800 to the dollar to about N1,300.
“Mr. President, if I can remember at least a few, from the exchange rate, which was heading to 1,800, today the exchange rate is reading about 1,300, which is a remarkable achievement,” he said.
The figures represent Yari’s assessment at the rally and were not independently verified for this report.
He added that the administration’s record extended beyond economic indicators to infrastructure, healthcare, education, human capital development and social welfare programmes.
“As promised Nigerians at the head of this campaign, we are going to campaign with our records. Our records are there. Infrastructure is there. What we did in health is there. Education is there. Human capital development is there,” Yari said.
He also cited student support programmes, cash transfers and interventions for women and vulnerable Nigerians as achievements the party intended to present to voters.
Works Minister David Umahi used the rally to highlight road projects undertaken by the Tinubu administration, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Umahi said more than 348 kilometres of roads had been completed in the North-West, while work had been completed on portions of other projects covering a combined distance of 1,800 kilometres.
He added that 4,083 kilometres of roads out of approximately 17,000 kilometres nationwide were under construction.
The minister also announced progress on the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project, saying 81 kilometres of the 118-kilometre first section had been completed, alongside more than 144 kilometres of the 164-kilometre second section.
According to Umahi, the first section was completed in 13 months, while the remaining 20 kilometres of the second section were expected to be completed by the end of November.
He said Tinubu had directed the installation of solar streetlights along the 375-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor and commended the President for funding the projects, as well as Governor Uba Sani for supporting their completion.
The rally also featured the presentation of party flags by APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda to governors and governorship candidates from the North-West.
Those presented with flags included Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State, Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.
Yilwatda assured Tinubu that the party’s structures across the region were mobilising for the 2027 elections, expressing confidence in the APC’s ability to compete in presidential and governorship contests.
The event was attended by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, APC governors, lawmakers and other party leaders.
However, the African Democratic Congress criticised the turnout, disputing the ruling party’s portrayal of the rally as a demonstration of overwhelming support in the North-West.
Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, alleged that supporters had been mobilised from the seven North-West states and beyond, with payments reportedly ranging from N50,000 to N100,000 per person.
The allegations were not independently verified.
“For a rally billed as the Northwest zonal flag-off, what we witnessed was a shameful spectacle. Despite the alleged mobilisation of crowds from across the zone and beyond, the stadium remained scantily filled, with empty seats everywhere,” Ologbondiyan said.
He also alleged that some attendees responded negatively to APC leaders after leaving the venue, claiming that some chanted “Ba mu yi”, which he interpreted as a rejection of the ruling party and its policies.
“You can rent a crowd, but you cannot rent acceptance. Even if people attend a rally, that does not mean they have surrendered their convictions. The real test of public support is what Nigerians will decide at the ballot box,” he said.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, also criticised Tinubu’s remarks on hunger and poverty, accusing him of shifting responsibility to opposition politicians rather than addressing the economic difficulties facing Nigerians.
Atiku, speaking through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, argued that voters would judge the administration by their living conditions rather than its campaign promises.
He also criticised the reported commissioning of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna road project during the rally, describing the arrangement as evidence of a disconnect between the government and citizens’ everyday experiences.
“A road cannot be completed with a speech or a ribbon-cutting ceremony,” Atiku said.
The exchanges highlighted the competing narratives likely to shape the campaign, with Tinubu and the APC defending their economic reforms and infrastructure record while opposition figures challenge the administration’s handling of hardship and question its claims of popular support.
As the 2027 election approaches, the central contest will increasingly revolve around the government’s record, the cost of living, the impact of economic reforms and the credibility of promises made to voters.
