…Niger Gov declares state as 2027 Campaign HQ, vows to lead mobilisation
…As Sen. Wadada signals APC return, backs economic reforms
Niger State Governor Umar Bago and Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada of Nasarawa West have stepped up moves to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s hold on the North, throwing their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign for 2027.
In what appeared to be a calculated show of political mobilisation, Governor Bago formally declared Niger State as the headquarters for Tinubu’s campaign.
Addressing supporters and party faithful on Tuesday, the governor voiced his determination to spearhead the drive across the region.
Referring to Niger State as the “campaign hot quarters,” Bago reaffirmed his allegiance to both the APC and President Tinubu. He condemned members who, after reaping the benefits of the party’s rise to power, had turned their backs on it, accusing some former governors, ministers, advisers, and commissioners of betrayal.
“We are Nigerians, and we love Nigeria. APC is what you are; some of you were party chairmen. We formed this APC together,” Bago said, calling for unity ahead of the crucial polls.
He stressed the value of the long-standing, though unwritten, arrangement for power rotation between the North and South, noting its role in sustaining relative political stability.
“The North completed its eight-year tenure under the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Now, President Tinubu, in his second year, deserves our full support,” he stated.
On criticisms over infrastructure and the economy, the governor described them as politically motivated attempts to discredit the APC. He argued that both the Buhari and Tinubu administrations inherited dilapidated roads, schools, and hospitals, and he applauded ongoing measures to address the situation.
“Attempts to use infrastructure deficits and economic hardships as campaign tools against the APC are shameless,” Bago said. “We know exactly what we inherited, and we have chosen not to probe the past leaders but to focus on building, rebranding, and fixing Niger State.”
On security, he reported notable improvements, with residents in previously troubled areas now conducting business freely.
In a related political development, Senator Wadada signalled his return to the APC after visiting President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) lawmaker commended Tinubu’s reforms and infrastructure initiatives, declaring the “seat already occupied” ahead of the next election cycle.
“Between now and 2031, anyone can say what they wish. But the reality is that the seat is occupied by President Tinubu. Among those eyeing it, I have not seen anyone with the courage or ideas to do better, on subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms, or infrastructure,” he said.
A former national officer of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC, Wadada described his SDP membership as “purely circumstantial” and said the party “had not offended” him. He left no doubt about his political direction: “I could even say I am APC already, though not officially. Life is dynamic. Politics is dynamic.”
He praised Tinubu’s road projects, including the Sokoto–Badagry and Abuja–Kano highways, and credited the president for reshaping the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“When you see a masquerade dancing in the daytime, there’s someone drumming. In the FCT, the drummer is President Tinubu,” he quipped.
The senator also challenged opposition parties, especially the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to produce concrete solutions rather than “baseless criticisms.”
“We’re talking about Nigeria, not sectional politics. President Tinubu is President of Nigeria, not of Lagos or the Southwest,” Wadada said.
In a separate show of solidarity, Anambra State Governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo voiced his backing for Tinubu’s re-election, describing him as a “friend for 22 years” and commending his “bold steps” on economic and structural reforms.
Soludo called on all progressive forces to rally in a “massive coalition” for national progress.
On insecurity in Anambra, he credited his administration’s mix of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies for driving out “deadly native doctors” accused of encouraging crime.
“These were the guys giving false hope and luring our young ones into crime. They are now on the run,” he said.
Turning to youth empowerment, Soludo revealed that 5,000 young people had completed skills training under his government, with plans to distribute billions to another 8,700 beneficiaries soon.
