2027: APC begins re-election bid

•As President Tinubu hints on desire to win FCTFrom Ismail Omipidan, AbujaPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where he observed the two rakaat eid prayer for the first time since he became the country’s President in May 2023, began what looked like a formal re-election bid by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).For the first time since some of his party faithful and supporters began the move towards drafting him to run for a second term, President Tinubu gave a hint of his desire to win the FCT for the APC in the next election. googletag.

cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0'); }); Historically speaking, from 1999 to date, ruling parties have only lost presidential elections twice, in the FCT.



And that is, in 2019 and 2023 and all happened under the APC. Can President Tinubu change the tide?Speaking when he played host to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, who led a delegation of prominent FCT residents, including the clergy, judicial officers, mandate secretaries, area council chairmen, political office holders, royal fathers, and heads of security agencies, among others, on a traditional Sallah homage to mark the end of Ramadan fasting and the Eid-el-Fitr holiday, President Tinubu said “I can see the diversity of men and women here. I must thank the Honourable Minister of FCT.

It’s worth it. It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.“And when we started, he came up with a lot of good ideas to liberate the bureaucracy, bring forward-looking, progressive thinking to the administration, and give opportunities to many of you that would have still been hindered by property rights.

$(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).

push({})}); “The independent Civil Service Commission solution and all of that we discussed provide opportunities for upward mobility and promotions that are consistent with the civil service structure, the area councils’ structure, and the indiscriminate development in the face of dwindling resources.“I remember the day Nyesom Wike came to me and said, ‘Please, take us out of this problem of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) so that I can do more work and achieve more.’ Then I said, ‘Okay, tell me what you’re about to do.

’“And he presented it, and I threw in my own political jab: ‘Would that give me any opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ I said, ‘I know where you are coming from—your own party (PDP) or my party. If this thing goes too much in your own favour, you will lose your job.’ Then he said, ‘Okay, we settle that, Oga.

’“And things started changing rapidly, and I started looking at the opening up of the rural areas, abandoned projects, and the residence of the Vice President, which had been abandoned for years, coming alive. The health centres are being rehabilitated. The health facilities for the residents of FCT are being upgraded.

Our teachers and schools are being rehabilitated, and buildings are being furnished. Thank you, Wike.”And that was the closest President Tinubu ever came, albeit publicly, as far the 2027 election bid is concerned.

For now, apart from what looked like the President’s interest in 2027, which he subtly revealed by himself on Sunday, there are already strong indications to suggest that President Tinubu is interested in second term. So far, he has shown very strong interest in rebuilding the party. The security situation across the country is changing for the better.

His deliberate patronage of party chieftains and faithful across the country, is seen as part of strategies to fortify the party, ahead of the 2027 General Elections. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); Although, Daily Sun’s investigations so far reveal that APC would have to double its efforts, if it wants to retain the presidency, those angling to dislodge it too, would require more than a rebranded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) respectively, to sack Tinubu and his party.Already, some leaders of the APC have begun campaigning for the re-election of President Tinubu, ahead of 2027, two clear years before the contest, even when the party and the President have yet to formally kicked off the campaign.

Among the top APC leaders and chieftains that have keyed into the re-election bid are: National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and the latest being the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. All of them, at different fora have openly canvassed support for President Tinubu’s bid for a second term. For instance, at the APC headquarters in Abuja while addressing support groups recently, Ganduje urged politicians from the North planning to run for president in 2027 to wait until 2031, making it clear in an unmistakeable term that President Tinubu should be allowed to complete two terms, in line with the North/South power sharing arrangement.

Likewise, on a recent national television interview, the SGF, Senator Akume, equalled called on the former Vice President and PDP 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, alongside other northern politicians, who may be eyeing the presidency now, to tarry awhile and wait till after 2027. Also, speaking in the same vein last Wednesday, during a special Iftar dinner organised by the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in Abuja, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, assured President Tinubu that his second term is secure, despite opposition efforts to unseat him in the 2027 election. $(document).

ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “We will come back in 2027, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

We will offer prayers for our party, that yes, indeed, victory shall be ours in 2027. Can we say a loud amen! And we will also pray for Mr. President that his second term is assured.

Can we shout a loud amen,” he saidDaily Sun’s findings revealed that political leaders in some of the key states in the North, are already marching words with actions by commencing early campaign activities. Some of these states are: Kaduna, Kebbi, and Kwara.Recently, the party held a major rally in Kebbi State, with the primary objective to promote President Tinubu and Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, ahead of the 2027 elections.

At the rally, held at the Birnin Kebbi Township Stadium, prominent figures in the state and beyond like the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Governor Nasir Idris; House of Representatives member and Tinubu ally, James Abiodun Faleke; and Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, were in attendance. The Kaduna State’s situation was somewhat dramatic. Apart from the endorsement President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani got from the APC stakeholders who met to pass a vote of confidence on the President and Governor Sani, praising their leadership and policies, the governor has gone ahead to attract into the APC, critical political juggernauts from the Southern, Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of the state.

These political gladiators almost made it impossible for the APC to retain the state in the 2023 governorship poll. In Southern Kaduna alone, the governor received about 22 political heavyweights and their supporters from the opposition parties at the APC zonal rally, held in Kafanchan. $(document).

ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); The defectors comprised serving and former National Aseembly members, as well as lawmakers from the State House of Assembly, former Council Chairmen, State party chairmen and flag bearers of the opposition parties.

Among those who left the PDP were; Senator Danjuma Laar, the immediate past lawmaker, who represented Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, Godfrey Gaiya, a former House of Representatives member, Ado Audu, a three-time member of the House of Representatives, the representative of Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency, Amos Magaji and Donatus Mathew, another member of the House of Representatives, representing Kaura Federal Constituency.Others were State legislators like Henry Zakarieh, representing Jaba Constituency, Samuel Kambai from Zango Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Kantiok of Zonkwa Constituency, the former Council Chairman of Jemaa Local Government, Mikiah Tokwak, former Vice Chairman, Sunday Baba, former Chairman of Kauru Local Government, Paul Wani moved into the APC, former PDP Chairman in Kagarko Local Government, Shehu Tafarke, former NNPP State Chairman, Ben Kure and his successor, Nuhu Audu, and the state chairman of Labour Party, Isah Ciroma are now APC members.Speaking on the occasion, Governor Sani explained that APC was now taking over Southern Kaduna which used to be the political enclave of PDP as his administration was anchored on justice.

The governor, had equally received defectors from the other senatorial districts, like former Governor Yero, who noted that they joined the APC to contribute to the “purposeful leadership” of the incumbent governor of the state, saying that “Governor Uba Sani has within less than two years brought positive changes to governance. He has initiated a lot of rural transformation projects.“These are the things we have seen in Governor Uba Sani.

He is a leader that listens and carries everyone along irrespective of ethno-religious background and even political affiliation. Our coming into the APC will in the coming months signal influx of other opposition members. And I am sure the APC will be just to all of us and treat us like every other APC member.

This will show the people who are still contemplating that, this is the right place to be.“The APC should know that we are not here to fight or cause crisis in the ruling party, all we want is justice and fairness. Chieftains of our former parties have not left us, up till few days back, they were still reaching out to see whether they could hold us back in the PDP and other parties, but we told them we have made up our minds to join the APC.

When our former parties failed to hold us back, they are now calling us paper weights, but we are going to show them by 2027 who are the real paper weights. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “We are not going to fight with anyone, but we will contribute our own quota and we are confident that, APC will emerge victorious in the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections,” former Governor Yero said.Also, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, who was the 2023 Governorship candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) said, he was moved by the gesture of Governor Sani who went round and reached out to all the people chased out of the APC by former Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, adding that “I am one of the founding members of the APC in Kaduna, but while the journey was going on smoothly, the driver of the vehicle matched the brake and asked some of us to drop from the vehicle, we dropped without arguing, but we thank God today that, Governor Uba Sani went round all the places where people were dropped and picked us back into the vehicle.

Governor Uba Sani succeeded in bringing us back to the APC because he is a just leader.”The post 2027: APC begins re-election bid appeared first on The Sun Nigeria..