By Lanre Oloyede
Former Zamfara State Governor and Senator, Abdulaziz Yari, has challenged the people of Ekiti State to deliver at least 800,000 votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, declaring that northern Nigeria is firmly behind the President’s re-election bid.
Yari made the appeal on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Ekiti State, where he urged residents to reciprocate Tinubu’s support for the state with an overwhelming electoral victory.
He said the target of 800,000 votes represented about 90 per cent of the votes expected from the state, noting that Ekiti had previously demonstrated strong support for the APC during the 2023 presidential election.
“Out of 1,080,000 registered voters, with over 900,000 Permanent Voter Cards collected, our request to you, and by extension the President’s request, is that we are looking for 800,000 votes, representing about 90 per cent,” Yari said.
He expressed confidence in the APC’s chances, citing the presence of former governorship candidates from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) at the rally as evidence of growing support for Tinubu.
According to him, their endorsement of the President’s re-election bid demonstrated increasing alignment among political stakeholders in the state.
Yari urged Governor Biodun Oyebanji and other APC leaders in Ekiti to mobilise residents behind the President, arguing that Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to the state’s development through investments in education, road infrastructure, youth support and women’s empowerment.
He added that the President would do more for Ekiti if the people renewed his mandate in 2027.
The former governor also declared that northern Nigeria remained firmly behind Tinubu, insisting that the President had earned the region’s loyalty through his support for northern political leaders and the emergence of northerners as leaders of the country on previous occasions.
“We in Northern Nigeria are ready for Asiwaju in 2027, and we are going to deliver him from A to Z,” he declared.
Defending the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, Yari challenged opposition parties to explain what they would do differently, particularly in addressing inflation, food prices, foreign exchange challenges and the country’s balance of trade.
He argued that despite the economic difficulties associated with the reform process, the administration had recorded improvements in some key economic indicators.
Citing food prices, Yari said a 50-kilogramme bag of grain, which he claimed previously sold for about N110,000, had declined to approximately N60,000.
He also cited reductions in the prices of millet, sorghum and maize in parts of northern Nigeria, arguing that the developments demonstrated progress under the current administration.
“We are going to campaign with our numbers and what we have done for Nigerians. Based on that, we are asking Nigerians to give us a second chance,” he said.
Yari maintained that the APC would base its re-election campaign on its record in government rather than political rhetoric, insisting that its achievements could be assessed through available economic statistics.
He challenged opposition politicians to present alternative policies capable of delivering better outcomes for Nigerians.
The senator thanked the people of Ekiti for their reception at the rally and conveyed the President’s appreciation to the state, expressing optimism that the APC would secure an overwhelming victory in the forthcoming election.
