North Will Back Tinubu in 2027 for Delivering on Promises, Says Gombe Governor

The Governor of Gombe State and Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, Inuwa Yahaya, has declared that Northern Nigeria will support President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027, citing the administration’s progress in fulfilling its electoral promises to the region. Yahaya made the statement at the opening of a two-day interactive session organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) at Arewa House in Kaduna.

Representatives of President Tinubu at the event included Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Governor of Kwara State, and Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation. Yahaya stated that the North’s strong support for Tinubu during the 2023 elections—contributing over 60% of his winning votes—was a strategic choice based on trust in his vision. That trust, he said, is already producing results in infrastructure, security, energy, and agriculture.

According to Yahaya, the interactive session was not meant for rhetoric but to provide a genuine assessment of the government’s performance. He said the Tinubu administration has made visible progress despite economic and security challenges and has delivered meaningful outcomes across Northern Nigeria. “In 2027, we must reward performance and hard work, and by that measure, President Tinubu has earned our continued support,” he said.

Yahaya also described the political alliance between the North and the South-West as vital for Nigeria’s unity, quoting the late Sardauna of Sokoto: “The North’s strength lies in its unity with all Nigeria.”

Highlighting federal government projects as proof of Tinubu’s commitment to the North, Yahaya listed the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi rail line, the rehabilitation of the Kaduna refinery, the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline, and oil drilling activities in the Kolmani oilfields. He added that new initiatives, including the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, expanded inter-state road networks, and agricultural value chain investments, are further evidence of the administration’s agenda for northern development.

The governor praised ongoing improvements in healthcare infrastructure and pointed to intensified efforts against insecurity, noting that over 300 bandit and terrorist leaders have been neutralised through coordinated operations and better intelligence. He also welcomed the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, describing it as a landmark step in modernising the pastoral economy.

On education, Yahaya acknowledged the administration’s work in reducing the number of out-of-school children through collaboration with state governments, traditional rulers, and international partners. While admitting that economic reforms—such as the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange rate unification—have caused short-term hardship, he maintained that these policies are necessary for long-term economic stability.

Calling for continued support for Tinubu, Yahaya stressed that development requires collective effort. He urged northern stakeholders to invest locally in infrastructure, education, and health, and called on traditional and religious leaders to play ongoing roles in peacebuilding. He also emphasised the need for civil society and the private sector to remain constructively involved.

The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, founded in 2009, is a non-political and non-religious organisation dedicated to preserving the legacy of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello.