Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State says the state is targeting three million votes for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 General Elections.
Mr Sani said this on Saturday in Zaria while receiving former Kaduna Chief of Staff, Bashir Sa’idu, and other politicians who defected from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The governor described the defection as a historic development, saying it demonstrated renewed unity within the APC ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
He said the defectors included party executives, grassroots mobilisers and other political stakeholders who had returned to the APC.
Mr Sani described Sa’idu as a politician known for integrity, principles and commitment to grassroots development.
He assured the defectors that they would enjoy equal treatment and opportunities within the APC, irrespective of when they joined the party.
“Our APC party has no distinction between those who came today and those who came yesterday. We treat everyone equally as one family,” he said.
The governor said political stakeholders in Kaduna State had resolved their differences and should “now focus on development and mobilising support for the party.”
He said Kaduna State had more than 4.4 million registered voters, adding that the administration would intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.
Mr Sani also said that Tinubu had promised to support the return of Rep. Abbas Tajudeen as Speaker of the House of Representatives for a second term.
Earlier, Mr Sa’idu, a former Chief of Staff to ex-Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, said that his decision to return to the APC followed disagreements within the ADC over party leadership and candidate selection.
He alleged that the ADC’s internal processes had been hijacked by outsiders and a particular family, prompting members of his group to reconsider their political affiliation.
Mr Sa’idu said the group had initially compiled lists of 200,000 members who returned to the APC, adding that more than 200,000 ADC card carrying members had joined them.
Mr Sa’idu allegedly claimed that the ADC was dead in the state, insisting that the opposition no longer posed a significant challenge.
He said the defectors were ready to mobilise votes for President Bola Tinubu, Gov. Uba Sani and the return of Rep. Abbas Tajudeen as Speaker in 2027.
The former chief of staff said the group would support the APC at all levels in the 2027 General Elections.
He appealed to Gov. Sani and the Speaker to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Zaria-Pambeguwa-Saminaka Road, which he said had deteriorated significantly.
Mr Sa’idu said the poor condition of the road had increased travel time and caused hardship for residents of the affected communities.
Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Datti Babawo, APC National Vice Chairman, North-West Zone, said the event’s large turnout of supporters demonstrated the people’s confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He pledged that the APC would secure millions of votes in the 2027 General Elections.
The event was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, former Kaduna governor Ramalan Yero, and other political leaders.
NAN