President Bola Tinubu has accused opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, of contributing to Nigeria’s hunger and poverty, arguing that his administration is working to reverse the situation.
Tinubu spoke on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign flag-off rally at Ranchers Bees Stadium, also known as Kaduna Township Stadium, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I have an argument. I hear my opponent 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 defended his administration’s record on salary payments and commended state governors for their performance, saying they were making progress in their respective states.
“We pay salaries regularly. Our governors are working. I am proud of them. They are developing,” Tinubu said.
The president also thanked Kaduna residents for supporting him in the 2023 presidential election, saying their votes contributed to his emergence as president.
“You gave me joy to remember the victory you gave me to become president. I come again to thank you,” he said.
Tinubu appealed to Nigerians to give him another term, saying he wanted to sustain his promises of prosperity, continuity, progress and development.
Uba Sani challenges opposition over record
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani accused opposition parties of using artificial intelligence in their campaigns and urged APC supporters to remain vigilant.
Speaking at the rally, Sani said the opposition had expanded its campaign activities beyond social media platforms to AI.
“The opposition have now upgraded their campaign from Facebook and Twitter to AI. So, I want to call the attention of our supporters to prepare, be watchful and be vigilant,” he said.
In an apparent reference to Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Sani challenged the opposition to present its record in office.
“When someone came to us and said we should vote for him simply because he is a Northerner, we asked him, ‘Can you show us your track record?’ Until this moment, the so-called Northern candidate has not shown us his track record, Mr President. No track record, and we keep asking,” the governor said.
Sani also praised Vice-President Kashim Shettima, claiming that more than 1,000 kilometres of roads had been constructed in northern Nigeria under Tinubu’s administration.
“I pointed out to him that, as Vice President under you, more than 1,000 kilometres of roads have already been constructed in the northern part of Nigeria,” he said.
He challenged Atiku to identify 200 kilometres of roads he helped provide for people in the North-East while serving as vice-president.
“Can you show us 200 kilometres of road that you were able to help the people of the North East with while you were Vice President? Till this moment, we have not seen one,” Sani said.
The governor said Kaduna residents and other Nigerians in the North were prepared to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
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“That is why today we are affirming our resolve as a people to massively come out in January 2027 to vote for continuity. We are voting for a promise keeper to continue with the good work he is already doing in Kaduna State and in general,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the governors present, particularly those from the North, Sani assured Tinubu of the region’s support.
“I want to thank you, Mr President, and assure you that the people of Northern Nigeria will repay you with their votes. You have seen, Mr President, the people coming from the airport to the stadium. Some people will come out on January 16 to vote for you,” he said.
Governor cites road projects, improved security
Sani recalled Tinubu’s visit to Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State on December 22, 2022, during the presidential campaign. He described the area at the time as a major centre of insecurity in the North-West.
The governor said the journey from Kaduna to Birnin Gwari took four hours, with 27 armoured vehicles accompanying Tinubu’s convoy.
He said the president had fulfilled two promises made during the visit.
“Mr President, today I can assure you that the two promises you made have been fulfilled,” Sani said.
According to the governor, the 123-kilometre Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road, which he said had been abandoned for more than 40 years, was being reconstructed, with N117bn released to the contractor.
“Today, you can travel to Birnin Gwari with your eyes closed without a single police escort, Mr President. That is progress, Mr President,” he said.
On the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, Sani said Tinubu had assured him that N740bn would be paid for its reconstruction.
“As we are speaking, Mr President, 95 per cent of the work has been completed,” the governor said.
He also claimed that more than 90 per cent of Kaduna residents who travelled to the rally through the Abuja route had not experienced kidnapping along the journey.
Sani thanked Tinubu for selecting Kaduna as the pilot state for the metropolitan red line project, saying $865m had been approved for it.
He added that the contractor, Mota-Engil, informed him the previous week that it had mobilised $300m for the approximately 50-kilometre corridor.
The governor also praised Tinubu’s administration for its support for agriculture.
“No leader in the history of Nigeria has supported agricultural transformation as substantially as you have done, Mr President, and that is a record,” he said.
APC vows to campaign on administration’s record
Also speaking at the rally, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul’aziz Mari, said the party would base its campaign on the administration’s achievements.
“We Nigerians, at the head of this campaign, are going to campaign with our records. Our records are there. The infrastructure is there. What you did in health, education and human capital development is there,” Mari said.
He added that the party had been engaging traditional rulers, Islamic scholars and imams to secure support for Tinubu’s re-election.
“Northern Nigeria is 101 per cent for you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by God’s grace. And the promise we have made, you are going to see it on January 16, 2027,” Mari said.
Politics Nigeria
