A frontline chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouk Aliyu, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will retain massive support from the North in the 2027 presidential elections, insisting that no opposition figure currently poses a credible threat to his re-election bid.
Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, August 29, 2025, the former House of Representatives minority leader stressed that despite murmurs of dissatisfaction, the APC remains firmly rooted in the North and would once again mobilize majority votes for Tinubu.
“The majority of the people of the North will still vote for APC. And Tinubu will be our candidate,” Aliyu said emphatically. “Whether Jonathan is coming in or Atiku is coming in, none of them is a threat to us. We respect Jonathan. We respect Atiku. We respect all these Nigerian leaders. But I tell you, I have not seen anyone on the horizon that can compete with Tinubu as presently constituted.”
Aliyu’s bold statement comes at a time when several opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, are being touted as possible challengers in 2027. However, the APC stalwart dismissed such speculations, noting that the president’s political machinery remains unmatched.
He argued that while politics thrives on elite maneuvering, governance is ultimately judged by the masses, and Tinubu still commands significant grassroots loyalty in the region. “Not everyone will support Tinubu, but the majority in the North still believe in him and in the APC. That is what counts at the ballot,” he added.
Aliyu further pointed out that the APC has weathered more severe storms in the past and still emerged victorious, recalling how similar predictions of northern backlash ahead of the 2023 elections failed when Tinubu secured a decisive mandate.
Political analysts say Aliyu’s remarks reflect growing confidence within APC ranks that the president’s mix of incumbency power, regional structures, and political alliances will be enough to withstand opposition challenges in 2027, especially if the opposition remains fragmented.
For now, the message from the APC camp is clear: the party believes Tinubu’s candidacy is not just intact, but unshakable—and the North will once again be the decider.
