From Cyril Mbah, Abuja
Disturbed by the rising opposition to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency in the North, some northern leaders of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), have set up the Arewa For Asiwaju, (A4A), Group to mobilise support for the President ahead of 2027.
Members of the group on Tuesday visited the APC National Secretariat in Abuja to present their programmes to the party’s National Working Committee, (NWC) and the Nationalchairman of the APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, with former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, serving as Deputy Chairman of the Board.
Shekarau thanked the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, for granting the group audience at short notice, and he commended the party chairman who, he observed, has been moving around selling the APC pointing out that the A4A will add colour to the chairman’s effort as a complementary body.
He said the A4A concept was put together to mobilise the teeming population of the 19 northern states and the FCT, noting that the North has the largest voting population and the group intends to ensure that the number of voters is not only repeated but more than tripled in 2027.
According to him, the group has taken note of statistics, itemised successes from previous elections, identified weak areas, flashpoints and reasons for low turnout, adding that voter apathy has been on the decline since 1999 and must be addressed by political leaders.
He said A4A has established about 20 directorates with specific tasks, and has also compiled a catalogue of achievements, projects and programmes executed by the Tinubu administration in the North, many of which he said are unknown to the larger population.
Shekarau said the group intends to expose those projects to change the narrative that Tinubu has neglected the North, adding that the narrative is being pushed by the opposition and some innocent northerners out of ignorance.
He disclosed that the group has set up a functional secretariat to serve as its engine room, with coordinators already appointed at state, local government and ward levels, and directed to work not in parallel but to fill gaps with party officials and presidential campaign coordinators.
He added that the secretariat will be commissioned on Saturday, October 17 at 2 p.m., and that Vice President Kashim Shettima had agreed to perform the commissioning, and he formally inviting the APC National Chairman and his NWC members.
In his remarks, Lalong said A4A is a reserve force of veterans, including former northern governors, former speakers, former senate presidents, serving ministers and legislators, assembled to support the party where weaknesses are noticed and to improve on votes previously delivered to Tinubu.
Responding, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, commended the inclusivity and organisational strength of the group, describing it as balanced in religious, state, regional, demographic and professional representation, with elders mentoring younger members.
Yilwatda said the group gives the North a voice to counter the claim that the North does not support President Tinubu, urging it to hold a world press conference with all its prominent faces to send a strong signal that the North is solidly behind the President.
He listed several federal projects in the North to counter the perception that the coastal road means the South is benefiting more, citing the Abuja-Kano road of 441km, Maiduguri-Kano of over 560km, Sokoto-Ilela-Kebbi-Kwara axis of about 696km, and other corridors like Danja-Zaria, Kano-Daura, Benue-Oweto Bridge-Abuja-Akwanga and Maiduguri corridors, assuring that over 3,000km of roads are under construction or procured in the North alone.
The chairman also pointed to the AKK gas project which has crossed the Niger and is heading to Abuja and Kano, where an export processing zone has been marked, saying it will enable northern governors to build power plants, local grids, support businesses, provide CNG, gas to homes and fertilizer, while also noting that the North is the biggest beneficiary of the NELFUND student loan scheme.
Yilwatda assured the group that the party will work in partnership with A4A and integrate its structure into the election planning to deliver not only the presidential election but also National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly seats, and he thanked the group for the visit.
