A forum of governorship candidates of the Democratic Leadership Alliance from across the country has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027, pledging to deploy their grassroots political networks to mobilise support for his re-election.
The forum, led by the DLA’s Taraba State governorship candidate, Hon. Aboki Bayonga, announced the endorsement at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
The candidates also said they would partner with Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) to garner support for the President.
Those present included the forum’s secretary, Alhaji Adamu Idrisu Chado (Kaduna); Hon. Bekky Folorunso James (Osun); Prof. Valdya Tame (Adamawa); Hon. Ibrahim Musa (FCT); Hon. Sam Umar (Plateau); Alhaji Sani Mohammed (Gombe); Hon. Nnamdi Ugwu (Enugu); and Hon.Brent Micheal (Bauchi), among others.
However, the candidates ruled out defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), clarifying that their endorsement of Tinubu was limited to the presidential election.
They maintained that they would pursue their ambitions for governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly seats under the DLA platform.
Bayonga said the decision followed consultations among party members, who resolved to support Tinubu because the DLA would not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 election.
He stressed that the endorsement did not signify an abandonment of the party, noting that the candidates would remain in the DLA and contest their respective elective positions under its platform.
Bayonga stated, “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 presidency, 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 in 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 places our children, whether you pay their school fees or you don’t pay their school fees, they depend on themselves. In terms of agriculture, recently, trailers of fertilisers were moving around the country, and they would give you a fertiliser and add 50,000. It helped the farmer, especially those in the rural areas.
“Again, in terms of road construction, you can see what the President is doing concerning the road network. He is making solid roads that, in years to come, will still be permanent.
“And for us, because we don’t have a presidential candidate, but apart from that, we looked at all the presidential candidates. We said, look, you cannot leave the opposition and go and join the opposition. You will not succeed. Therefore, looking at all of them, we compared them and found out that the present government has a lot of things that, if given another four years, it will achieve, and Nigeria will be better.”
Bayonga argued that four years may not be enough to implement programmes that require long-term planning and funding, adding that another term would allow the administration to complete its projects and achieve its goals.
“We want continuity. Four years is not enough to complete every programme, especially projects that require long-term planning and funding,” he said.
Asked whether the endorsement had the backing of the DLA national chairman and other governorship candidates, 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, a general meeting yesterday. We agreed upon what we are doing here.”
He expressed optimism that their established political structures and connections with voters in their respective states would help generate support for the President, noting that grassroots influence extended beyond party affiliation.
The governorship candidate added that several of the candidates had built strong ties with their communities before joining the DLA and planned to leverage those relationships to boost Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
Addressing concerns that Tinubu’s re-election could pave the way for a life presidency, Bayonga dismissed the suggestion, maintaining that the office of the President was governed by the Constitution and the will of the Nigerian people.
He stressed that no individual owned the presidency or could remain in office beyond the constitutionally prescribed tenure.
“The presidency belongs to the Nigerian people. Nobody owns it, and nobody can remain there beyond what the Constitution allows,” he said.
The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday unveiled the membership of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign council, featuring leaders of the ruling party and some opposition figures.
Prominent opposition figures on the list include Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance; Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party; and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The APC also indicated that more opposition figures were expected to support Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
Abdulrahman is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with nearly a decade of professional experience covering political parties, elections, religion, civil society organizations, and the Nigeria Governors Forum. He is also a development and strategic communication expert, skilled at analyzing complex issues and delivering impactful narratives. Abdulrahman’s reporting reflects extensive newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a strong commitment to informative and insightful journalism.
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