Tinubu Kicks Off 2027 Campaign in Kaduna, Blames Opposition for Hunger, Seeks Second Term

President Bola Tinubu has launched the APC’s presidential re-election campaign in Kaduna, accusing opposition politicians of creating the hunger and poverty affecting Nigerians and calling for a massive turnout in support of his second-term ambition on January 16, 2027.

Speaking at Saturday’s campaign flag-off, Tinubu criticised his political opponents for focusing on economic hardship without offering what he described as credible solutions.

“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger. They created the poverty we are trying to eradicate,” he said.

The President maintained that his administration was making progress, pointing to regular salary payments and the performance of APC governors.

“We pay salaries regularly. Our governors are working. I am proud of them. They are developing,” Tinubu said.

He promised that re-electing him would usher in a period of prosperity, continuity, progress and development, particularly for the younger generation.

“To you, the children of our country, it is a promise of second-term prosperity. You will not regret going to vote,” he said.

Tinubu also pressed supporters to confirm that they had obtained their Permanent Voter Cards, repeatedly asking: “Do you have your PVC? Do you have your PVC? Show your hands up.”

‘Our opponents have nothing to offer’

The President dismissed the criticism directed at his administration, describing his opponents as frustrated politicians with little to offer beyond heckling.

“This is not a matter of hunger; this is not a matter of anger either. Our opponents are angry because they are failures. They have nothing to offer you but heckling,” he said.

He added: “We have prosperity, consistency, growth, recovery and opportunity. I assure you.”

In a message that appeared to align with APC governors opposing the proposed rainbow coalition championed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Tinubu urged voters to support the ruling party’s candidates across all levels of government.

“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,” he declared.

He added that Nigerians held the power to determine their future through their votes.

“Your prosperity is here. Your future is in your hands; the fingerprint will reflect it,” Tinubu said, urging voters to guard against misinformation and ensure their votes were properly recorded.

Tinubu rejects return of fuel subsidy

The President also criticised the promise by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, to restore petrol subsidy if elected.

Tinubu insisted that the subsidy regime was over and pledged to tackle corruption, fraudulent invoicing and the smuggling of national wealth.

“Fuel subsidy is in our past. No more corruption. No more falsification of invoices. No more lies. No more smuggling of wealth,” he said.

He praised APC governors for their performance across the federation, declaring: “Out of 36 of them, I can see the development strides they are making in their various states.”

Tinubu also described Kaduna as a historically significant state where political leaders gathered before independence. He offered prayers for departed leaders and reiterated his pledge to deliver a better tomorrow through growth, recovery and opportunity.

Shettima rallies support for Tinubu, Uba Sani

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who spoke earlier, urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the APC had helped preserve national unity and resisted predictions of economic failure.

“Nigeria needs this finest servant to stand together,” Shettima said.

He described the administration’s efforts as a fight for the country’s survival and said the government had remained united in the face of challenges.

“What we have done is to fight for the survival of this nation. So, allow me, Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, to reintroduce ourselves to you and show you that you do not have allies as sincere as we are.

“We were able to keep this country together and defy the predictions of those who had predicted economic failure because we worked together,” he said.

Recalling the 2023 election, Shettima said voters chose Tinubu because they believed the alternatives posed a greater risk to the country.

“Almost four years ago, you spoke eloquently, sincerely, boldly and decisively to elect a change-maker, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

He continued: “We didn’t win that election because we were wise, far from it. We didn’t win that election because we were rich, and we didn’t win that election because we were educated. We didn’t win that election because we were the best speakers. We won because you saw the options before you and knew, without a doubt, that the alternative was a calamity.”

Shettima also appealed to Kaduna residents to renew the APC’s mandate and re-elect Governor Uba Sani, praising his administration for promoting unity across communities in the state.

He said the governor had helped create an environment where residents from Zonkwa and Zaria viewed one another as brothers and democratic dividends reached both Kachia and metropolitan Kaduna.

“This is the legacy of the APC in Kaduna State. This is the mandate we have come to ask you to renew: a second term for the APC, from top to bottom,” he said.

Why APC chose Kaduna

Explaining the choice of Kaduna for the campaign launch, Shettima said the party had fulfilled its promise to restore the state’s standing as a national centre of learning.

He cited the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, the transition to the Federal University of Education in Zaria and the establishment of vocational institutes in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf, which he said had graduated more than 4,000 people.

The Vice President also highlighted education financing through NELFUND, claiming that hundreds of thousands of university students had benefited from the programme.

Shettima recalled Tinubu’s support for former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 and 2019 elections, describing Tinubu as a leader of honour and integrity.

The rally formally opened the APC’s campaign for Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential poll.

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