2027: DLA gov’shp candidates collapse structure for Tinubu nationwide

Ahead of 2027 general elections, a forum of governorship candidates of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) across the country have endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027, pledging to mobilise their grassroots political structures to secure his victory. 

The forum, led by the party’s Taraba state governorship candidate, Hon. Aboki Bayonga, announced their position at a press conference Friday in Abuja, adding that they will work with Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) to mobilise support for the President. 

Other governorship candidates of the DLA in attendance include the Secretary of the Forum, Alhaji Adamu Idrisu Chado from Kaduna state, Hon. Bekky Folorunso James from Osun state, Prof Valdya Tame from Adamawa state, Hon. Ibrahim Musa from FCT, Hon. Sam Umar from Plateau state, Alhaji Sani Mohammed from Gombe state, Hon. Nnamdi Ugwu from Enugu state and Hon. Brent Micheal from Bauchi state, among others. 

The DLA governorship candidates, however, ruled out defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but insisted that their support for Tinubu was strictly for the presidential election and would not affect their ambitions to contest governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly seats on the DLA platform.

Bayonga explained that the endorsement followed consultations among party members, who agreed to support Tinubu because the DLA had no presidential candidate of its own for the 2027 election.

He said the decision did not amount to an abandonment of their party, stressing that the candidates would continue to pursue their respective political ambitions under the DLA.

“As the Forum of Governorship candidates of DLA, we are here today declaring our support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as our Presidential candidate in 2027. Not that we have dropped our aspirations under our own platform. But as for the presidential, we are for Asiwaju 100%. We will work for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to come back. We will do everything possible to make sure that Asiwaju is back 2027. 

“There are so many reasons for our decision, but time will not permit us to sit down and mention them, but if I can mention a few, like the NELFUND that place our children, whether you pay them school fees, you don’t pay their school fees, they depend on themselves. In terms of agriculture, recently trailers of fertilizers were moving around the country, and they would give you a fertilizer and add you 50,000. It helped the farmer, especially those at the rural area.

“Again, in terms of road construction, you can see what the president is doing concerning road network. He is making a solid road that in years to come, those roads will still be permanent. 

“And for us, because we don’t have a presidential candidate, but apart from that, we look at all the presidential candidates, we say, look, you cannot leave opposition and go and join opposition. You will not succeed. Therefore, looking at all of them, we compare them, we find out that, the present government have a lot of things that if given another four years, he will achieve them, and Nigeria will be better.”

Bayonga maintained that a single four-year term might not be sufficient to complete programmes requiring long-term planning and funding, arguing that continuity would enable the administration to pursue its objectives.

“We want continuity. Four years is not enough to complete every programme, especially projects that require long-term planning and funding,” he said.

When asked whether the endorsement has the approval of their national chairman and other governorship candidates of DLA, Bayonga said: “Yeah. I am the chairman of the forum of governorship candidates of DLA. And you can see all of us are here. And we agree, and we had a meeting, general meeting yesterday. We agreed upon what we are doing here.”

Bayonga said the candidates had assessed the political situation and the options available ahead of the general election before concluding that Tinubu deserved another four years to consolidate his administration’s programmes.

He expressed confidence that their existing political networks and relationships with voters across their respective states would help mobilise support for the President, arguing that grassroots influence was not determined solely by party affiliation.

According to him, many of the candidates had been politically active before joining the DLA and had established relationships with their communities, which they intended to deploy in support of Tinubu’s re-election bid.

On concerns that Tinubu’s re-election could lead to a life presidency, Bayonga dismissed the possibility, insisting that the presidency remained subject to constitutional provisions and the will of Nigerians.

He maintained that no individual could claim ownership of the office or remain in power beyond the period permitted by the Constitution.

“The presidency belongs to the Nigerian people. Nobody owns it, and nobody can remain there beyond what the Constitution allows,” he said.