Vice-President Kashim Shettima has made a fresh appeal to northern voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging them to consider President Bola Tinubu’s history of political alliances with northern leaders as the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeks to consolidate its support in the region....
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has made a fresh appeal to northern voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging them to consider President Bola Tinubu’s history of political alliances with northern leaders as the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeks to consolidate its support in the region.
Shettima said Tinubu had consistently supported northern presidential aspirants, even when he was not the candidate seeking the presidency, citing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari as examples.
The Vice-President spoke on Saturday at the APC presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna, where the ruling party began its drive to secure another term for Tinubu.
“President Bola Tinubu is one person who has fiercely identified with the North over the years,” Shettima said.
He recalled that Tinubu offered Atiku political support after the former vice-president’s fallout with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), helping him secure a platform to contest the 2007 presidential election under the Action Congress (AC).
“In 2011, Asiwaju supported another northerner, Nuhu Ribadu, and in 2015 and 2019, he supported our late president Muhammadu Buhari,” Shettima said.
The Vice-President’s message was clear: Tinubu’s political relationships with the North, according to the APC, extend beyond electoral calculations and should count in the region’s consideration of his re-election bid.
Why The North Matters In Tinubu’s Re-election Bid
Northern Nigeria remains a decisive battleground in presidential elections because of its large voting population and the number of states across the region.
In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu won the presidency with 8,794,726 votes, ahead of Atiku, who polled 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi, who received 6,101,533 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The election also demonstrated the importance of regional coalitions, as no candidate could rely on support from a single geopolitical zone to secure victory.
For the APC, retaining and expanding its northern support will be central to its 2027 strategy, particularly as opposition parties seek to challenge the President’s record and build alternative coalitions.
Shettima’s emphasis on Tinubu’s past support for northern candidates provides the ruling party with a political argument that its relationship with the region predates the current administration.
The President’s alliance with Buhari was particularly significant.
Tinubu was a leading figure in the opposition coalition that helped bring the APC to power in 2015, ending the PDP’s 16-year hold on the presidency.
Buhari, a former military head of state from Katsina State, won the election after three previous unsuccessful attempts.
Tinubu also supported Ribadu in the 2011 presidential election, when the former EFCC chairman contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the parties that later merged to form the APC.
By recalling these political milestones, Shettima sought to reinforce the argument that Tinubu has played a role in the political advancement of northern leaders and that voters should consider that history when deciding whom to support in 2027.
Beyond Political Alliances, The Issues That matter To northern Voters
However, the APC’s appeal to the North will also be tested by the everyday realities confronting millions of residents.
Insecurity remains a major concern in parts of the North-West and North-East, where banditry, kidnappings and insurgency have disrupted farming, trade, education and community life.
The region also faces significant economic pressures, including food affordability, unemployment, poverty and the effects of displacement on rural livelihoods.
For farmers and agricultural businesses, security and access to farmland are particularly important.
For young people, employment opportunities, skills development and access to education are likely to shape political choices.
These issues place pressure on the APC to demonstrate how its policies and security operations can produce measurable improvements in people’s lives.
The party will need to make the case that its economic reforms, infrastructure investments and security measures can deliver benefits that northern households can see and feel.
Shettima’s position as a northerner and former governor of Borno State gives him a prominent role in communicating the administration’s message to the region.
His challenge will be to connect Tinubu’s political relationships with a convincing account of what the President’s leadership means for northern communities.
Uba Sani raises alarm Over AI In political campaigns
Also speaking at the Kaduna campaign flag-off, Governor Uba Sani warned APC supporters that the opposition was expanding its campaign methods from conventional social media to artificial intelligence.
“The opposition have now upgraded their campaign from Facebook and Twitter to AI. I want to call the attention of our supporters to be very watchful, to be vigilant,” Sani said.
The governor’s warning highlights the growing role of digital communication in political contests, particularly as AI tools make it easier to produce realistic but misleading images, videos and audio recordings.
Such material can be circulated rapidly on social media and messaging platforms, potentially confusing voters about candidates’ statements, political positions and campaign activities.
Sani urged APC supporters to remain vigilant as the contest gathers momentum.
His remarks also signal that controlling the flow of political information and responding to online narratives could become an important part of the party’s campaign strategy.
For voters, the challenge will be to verify controversial claims before sharing them, particularly where purported recordings or videos of political figures appear online.
A critical test for the APC
The Kaduna flag-off marks an early step in the APC’s effort to mobilise its supporters and strengthen its position ahead of the 2027 election.
Shettima’s appeal places Tinubu’s history of political cooperation with northern leaders at the centre of the party’s message to the region.
But while those alliances provide political context, the contest will ultimately be shaped by a combination of party loyalty, candidates’ records, security, economic conditions and voters’ expectations for the future.
For the APC, the task is to turn its argument about Tinubu’s longstanding relationship with the North into renewed electoral support.
For northern voters, the election will offer another opportunity to assess not only political alliances but also the performance of the government and the promises made for the region’s future.