A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has said those thinking the Northern Nigeria would not vote to re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 were making “a big mistake.”

He spoke on Friday in Abuja when Northern Nigeria Youth Leaders from the 19 states of the North, paid him a courtesy visit for his decoration as the patron of the Forum.

The former Kano state governor said “there is no better candidate to govern Nigeria beyond 2027 from the Southern Nigeria than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Ganduje said Nigeria is lucky to have the first real politician in Bola Tinubu.

He said: “Pertaining to the next election in 2027, those that are nursing or thinking otherwise that the North will vote another candidate other than Asiwaju are making a big mistake.

“This is the first time Nigeria as a nation is lucky to have a politician as President. His constituency is politics, his upbringing is politics because he believes in the unity of this country. In fact, he struggled, he was even in exile for democracy to survive in Nigeria. So, there is no better person to be elected in 2027 than Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Ganduje said there was an agreement even before the election of the late President Muhammadu Buhari that after eight years of his government, a Southerner will emerge.

“Asiwaju has only been here for less than four years now and we have seen the measures the reforms that he undertook. The reforms that he introduced in order to improve the social economic development of this country.”

Speaking on some of the bold reforms the current administration has undertaken, he said: “All the candidates who contested with him in 2023 promised to remove fuel subsidy, even the previous government promised to remove the subsidy but nobody was bold enough to do that job but Asiwaju has succeeded in removing the subsidy and now all the state Governors, irrespective of their political leaning, they believe they are getting more and more funds for the development of their respective states. He did not say that he removed subsidy because he wanted to improve the APC governors, but he did it for the nation. So, this President has undertaken measures that will improve the economy of this country,” Ganduje said.

Ganduje, while assuring the Northern Nigeria Youth Leaders of his support for the organisation, commended them for their boldness not only to mobilise votes for the re-election of Asiwaju but to also raise money to purchase his nomination forms.

“There’s no better commitment than this, you are contributing funds, you are also contributing your brain, you are contributing your energy and you are contributing your time to ensure the re-election of Asiwaju, I have to thank you for this.”

Speaking earlier, National Leader; Murtala Muhammad Gamji, who described Ganduje as a role model, added that as governor, Ganduje made him one of the most popular youth leader through his support.

“We are here to tell you that wherever you focus that’s where we go with you. We have all agreed to support the re-election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by massively mobilising all the youths in the 19 Northern states and to raise fund to by his nomination form ahead of the election.

“We have to do this because some people are insinuating that the North will not vote for Asiwaju in 2027, but that’s a lie because nobody has supported us in the North like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Gamji declared.

The forum used the opportunity to decorate Ganduje as the Grand Patron of the Northern Nigeria Youth Leaders Forum. (Daily Trust)

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