APC Chieftain Kwankwaso: North’s Pact With Tinubu “Sacrosanct” Ahead of 2027

By: Ganiyu Olayinka

Dr Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said Northern Nigeria’s political understanding with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections is “sacrosanct” and “non-negotiable,” and that the region will repay the administration’s development projects with large numbers of votes.

He spoke on the sidelines of the inauguration of Arewa4Asiwaju in Abuja. Kwankwaso said Tinubu had shown commitment to closing the North’s infrastructure gap, giving the region strong reasons to keep backing him.

Projects cited

He pointed to the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, railway projects, the proposed Abuja-Kano Super Highway and Kano’s Urban Wujuwuju Road as evidence of the administration’s attention to Northern infrastructure. These projects, he said, could improve regional connectivity, boost commerce and open up economic opportunities, and the administration’s infrastructure record would weigh heavily in the North’s political thinking.

“Tinubu has done his best for the North, and we shall replicate the gesture through massive voting in 2027. The covenant of the North with our beloved President is sacrosanct and, in effect, non-negotiable,” he said.

He added that the North has a tradition of honouring its commitments and that he was confident the region would keep faith with the President. “The North is known for fulfilling its covenant, and we shall live up to expectations again. The President should be rest assured that 2027 is his year, and the North will roar again,” he said.

The Arewa4Asiwaju launch

Arewa4Asiwaju is a support group set up to mobilise Northern backing for Tinubu’s re-election bid. The inauguration drew prominent Northern figures, including the President’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Masari, former governors, ministers and presidential advisers.

Kwankwaso said the platform gives Northern stakeholders a chance to come together, strengthen grassroots mobilisation and build a coordinated political structure to promote the President’s agenda. He said the region’s loyalty would ultimately be shown at the ballot box, and he expressed confidence that supporters would turn declarations of loyalty into votes.

What to watch

The gathering reflects efforts by Tinubu’s supporters to consolidate their structures in the North as parties and support groups position themselves for 2027. Economic conditions, infrastructure, security and the effects of government policy are likely to feature heavily in the campaign.

Because the North carries considerable electoral weight, whether leaders can turn endorsements into votes will depend not only on agreements among political elites but also on how ordinary citizens judge the administration’s performance and its effect on their livelihoods.