Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is facing growing rejection in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Sani, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the narrative of widespread opposition to Tinubu in the North was largely being promoted through political propaganda and social media rather than reflecting the mood at the grassroots.
Asked whether there was growing resistance to Tinubu across the North, the governor responded: “No way. It is not possible.”
He instead predicted a significant improvement in Tinubu’s electoral performance in Kaduna State, projecting that the president could secure between 70 and 80 per cent of the votes in the state in 2027.
Tinubu performed below former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in Kaduna during the 2023 presidential election. While Tinubu secured 399,293 votes, Atiku won the state with 554,360 votes.
However, Sani argued that the political landscape had changed considerably since the last presidential election and that the factors responsible for the 2023 result should not automatically be expected to determine the outcome of the 2027 poll.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will move from 29 percent of votes to 70 to 80 percent,” the governor said.
The Kaduna governor attributed his confidence partly to the movement of politicians from opposition parties into the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in Southern Kaduna.
He also cited federal government projects in the state as factors that could influence voters ahead of the 2027 election.
Among the projects he mentioned were the establishment of a Federal University of Science and Technology in Southern Kaduna and the development of a federal medical centre.
Sani maintained that voters would ultimately assess the Tinubu administration based on its performance and the impact of government policies on their lives rather than political narratives circulating on social media.
He also predicted that the president would receive strong support across the Northwest, Northeast and North-Central geopolitical zones.
According to him, opposition candidates cannot defeat an incumbent president simply through television appearances, social media campaigns or political activities concentrated in Abuja.
You don’t contest with the President by campaigning in Abuja,” Sani said, stressing that elections were practical” and required sustained engagement with voters at the grassroots.
He said the APC would consequently concentrate on strengthening its presence across Kaduna State while taking the administration’s achievements directly to voters in wards and communities.
Beyond the 2027 presidential contest, Sani disclosed that his administration had not taken any fresh loan since he became governor, despite continuing to service debts inherited from previous administrations.
“Since I became governor, I’ve not borrowed with one kobo,” he said.
According to Sani, Kaduna State currently spends about N6.7 billion every month servicing inherited loans.
He attributed his administration’s decision not to contract additional debt to what he described as prudent financial management and careful prioritisation of government expenditure.
It’s about being prudent. It’s about selecting or being very careful in where you invest the money, the governor said.
Sani also defended his administration’s record, citing interventions in agriculture, education, infrastructure, skills development and security as some of its major achievements.
On education, the governor disclosed that a household-mapping exercise conducted across Kaduna State identified approximately 550,000 out-of-school children.
He said more than 300,000 of the affected children had since been returned to school, while acknowledging that the programme was still ongoing.
According to him, the data generated from the mapping exercise had helped the government identify affected children and improve the targeting of resources toward reducing the state’s out-of-school population.
Sani also urged Nigerians to critically examine political promises ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly by demanding explanations on how proposed programmes would be financed.
He warned that politicians should not be allowed to make ambitious promises without explaining where the money to implement them would come from.
Someone will come and sit here and tell you that when I become governor, or when I become president, I will ensure that every student is given N10 million. You allow him to walk away without asking: how would you do it?” he asked.
The Kaduna governor also commented on former governor Nasir El-Rufai and his political associates amid ongoing political disagreements within the APC.
Sani, however, declined to engage in what he described as personality-driven politics.
I don’t do politics of sentiments. I’m not going to talk about any personality here. I respect him. I value him,” he said.
With the 2027 elections approaching, Sani’s comments underline the APC’s confidence that Tinubu can significantly improve his performance in Kaduna and other parts of Northern Nigeria, despite growing political competition and efforts by opposition groups to challenge the ruling party’s dominance.
