Tinubu Accuses Opposition of Creating Poverty as He Flags Off 2027 Campaign in Kaduna
By Tams Jonah, ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu has accused opposition leaders of creating the poverty and hunger they now blame his administration for, as he officially flagged off his campaign for the 2027 presidential election in Kaduna on Saturday.
Tinubu made the allegation at a rally at the Ranchers Bees Stadium, where he also inaugurated an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway as part of his administration’s infrastructure development efforts.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger; they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” the President said.
The President’s remarks appeared directed at opposition leaders, particularly former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who served from 1999 to 2007 and is associated with the administration’s privatisation programme.
According to the Presidency, thousands of workers affected by the privatisation of state-owned enterprises during that period were left without their gratuities and pensions, which the Tinubu administration has been paying.
Tinubu urged the people of Kaduna State to support his re-election bid, citing his administration’s investments in critical infrastructure and other economic development initiatives across the state and the northern region.
He recalled Kaduna’s historical significance as a political centre in northern Nigeria and thanked residents for supporting him in the 2023 presidential election.
The rally attracted top All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the Vice-President, and 32 APC governors.
Former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje were also among the party chieftains at the event.
Speaking at the rally, Shettima reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to national unity, democratic stability and economic development, urging Nigerians to support the President for another term.
The Vice-President recalled Tinubu’s support for northern presidential candidates in previous elections, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, who won the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.
He also referenced Tinubu’s political relationships with other northern leaders, including Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu, describing them as evidence of political loyalty and commitment to national unity.
Shettima said the APC’s previous electoral victories reflected voters’ confidence in the party and urged Kaduna residents to maintain their support for Tinubu.
“We won the last election because you saw the best option before you,” he said, adding that the APC’s mandate had helped strengthen unity in Kaduna State.
In his welcome address, Governor Uba Sani commended Tinubu for supporting state governments in implementing development programmes and pursuing their priorities.
He highlighted cooperation between federal and state governments as essential to sustainable development, particularly in infrastructure, agriculture and policies aimed at improving citizens’ welfare.
The governor also acknowledged the contributions of the First Lady to programmes targeting women, children and families.
Sani urged APC supporters to guard against misinformation during the electioneering period, particularly misleading content circulated on social media and materials allegedly generated using artificial intelligence.
Similarly, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, expressed confidence in the party’s ability to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
Yari defended the administration’s economic reforms, citing developments in the foreign exchange market, and urged Nigerians to assess the government based on its policies and performance.
He also commended party leaders and stakeholders for their roles in organising the campaign flag-off, while warning supporters against misinformation.
Meanwhile, Minister of Works Dave Umahi highlighted infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Tinubu administration across the North-West and other parts of the country.
Umahi spoke during the virtual commissioning of Lot 1 of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, covering an 81-kilometre section.
The highway inauguration formed a major part of the Kaduna rally, with the Presidency presenting the project as evidence of the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development.
The campaign flag-off marks an early mobilisation effort by the APC as Tinubu seeks a second term in the 2027 presidential election.
