Inuwa Yahaya, the governor of Gombe State and chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, affirmed the North’s commitment to support President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027. This endorsement is based on the administration’s fulfillment of key electoral promises to the region.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day interactive session on government-citizen engagement held by the Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at Arewa House, Kaduna, Yahaya stated that the North’s overwhelming support for Tinubu in the 2023 elections was a strategic choice, yielding positive results in infrastructure, security, energy, and agriculture.
“When candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu stood before us during the 2023 campaign, he made specific commitments to Northern Nigeria. The North, believing in President Tinubu’s vision, voted strongly for him, contributing to over 60% of Tinubu’s winning votes,” the governor remarked.
He emphasized that the session, themed ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Unity,’ aimed not for “empty rhetoric” but to genuinely assess the federal government’s performance against its stated objectives.
Yahaya praised the administration’s steady progress amid formidable economic and security challenges, noting, “Today, we gather not for empty rhetoric, but to examine those promises and assess the level of progress so far. What we find is an administration that has delivered meaningful results for our region despite facing significant national challenges. I make bold to say that the evidence of progress is visible across our region.”
To illustrate the president’s commitment to Northern development, Yahaya highlighted several federal projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line, the rehabilitation of the Kaduna Refinery, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, and ongoing drilling activities in the Kolmani oilfields.
“These projects promise to bring industrial growth and energy security to Northern Nigeria,” he added, pointing to the administration’s renewed hope agenda, which is gradually turning long-standing aspirations into reality.
In addition to legacy projects, Yahaya mentioned emerging initiatives such as the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, inter-state road networks, and agriculture value chain investments targeting Northern states. He also noted ongoing expansions and upgrades of healthcare infrastructure as deliberate efforts to enhance the well-being of the Northern populace.
Moreover, he commended the federal government’s measures in combating insecurity in the North, citing that over 300 bandit kingpins and terrorist commanders have been neutralized through coordinated operations and improved intelligence gathering.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State echoed this sentiment, stating that it would be challenging for any governor in Nigeria to oppose President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 during the same session.