Kaduna APC Rally Draws Northern Leaders As Tinubu Campaign Intensifies

Amarachi Ihesiulo

October 26, 2026
3 min read
Kaduna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified its campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, with a major rally in Kaduna drawing governors, former political officeholders and party supporters from across Northern Nigeria.

The rally, held at Kaduna Township Stadium, was described by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, as evidence of continued Northern support for Tinubu ahead of the January 16, 2027, presidential election.

In an article titled Kaduna Rally As The North’s Referendum On Tinubu, Abdulaziz argued that the turnout challenged opposition claims that the President had lost political support in the region.

He said the stadium was filled beyond capacity, with supporters gathering in surrounding streets and displaying party flags, banners and placards endorsing Tinubu.

The event was attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, APC Presidential Campaign Council Director-General Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other political leaders.

Abdulaziz reported that 18 of the North’s 19 governors attended the rally, alongside former governors, legislators, religious leaders, women’s groups and party faithful. The article did not independently identify all those present or provide an official attendance figure.

Addressing supporters, Shettima urged voters to renew the APC’s mandate, arguing that the party had won the 2023 election because Nigerians considered it preferable to the alternatives.

“We have come to ask you to renew a second term for the APC from top to bottom,” the Vice-President said, according to Abdulaziz’s account.

Yari also expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, declaring that Northern Nigeria would support Tinubu in the forthcoming election.

“By God’s grace, Northern Nigeria is 101 per cent behind you, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said, according to the article.

The rally also featured a symbolic inauguration of an 81-kilometre section of the Kaduna-Abuja highway, which Abdulaziz presented as evidence of infrastructure delivery by the Tinubu administration.

Governor Uba Sani reportedly highlighted federal projects and interventions benefiting Kaduna State, including road and rail infrastructure, universities and healthcare facilities.

Abdulaziz also cited the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the North Central Development Commission and the North West Development Commission as examples of initiatives he said demonstrated the administration’s commitment to Northern development.

He further referenced new federal universities and transport projects, including the Kano-Maradi railway and the Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road.

The article linked Tinubu’s political relationships with Northern leaders to his history of alliances dating back to the early 1990s. It cited his association with the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s political movement and his subsequent support for Northern political figures.

Abdulaziz argued that these relationships had helped sustain cooperation between Tinubu and influential Northern politicians.

He also praised Arewa for Asiwaju, a political movement supporting the President, saying it could help communicate the administration’s policies and achievements to voters across the region.

However, the rally’s attendance does not independently establish the voting intentions of Northern Nigerians, and the APC’s claims of overwhelming regional support have yet to be tested at the ballot box.

With the 2027 election approaching, the Kaduna gathering underscores the importance the ruling party places on Northern political support as it seeks another presidential mandate.

Amarachi Ihesiulo

Ihesiulo Grace Amarachi is a Nigerian journalist, writer and media professional serving as the Editor-in-Chief of TheTraffic.NG, a digital news platform covering national and international affairs. Her editorial interests span politics, business, aviation, health, technology, entertainment, sports and social development. She is committed to credible journalism, insightful reporting and compelling storytelling that informs public discourse and keeps readers abreast of important developments in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.