2027: Yahaya Bello Vows to Spend 2 Weeks in Top Northern State for Tinubu's Re-election

• Former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello made the declaration at a Yoruba political mobilisation programme held in Kano
• Bello challenged non-indigenous communities in Kano to surpass the nearly 500,000 votes they reportedly delivered for Tinubu in 2023
• House of Representatives member Leke Abejide announced N500m in interest-free loans for women at the same event

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Kano State - Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has declared his intention to personally relocate to Kano State for two weeks to campaign for President Bola Tinubu and Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Bello urged Yoruba and other non-indigenous communities to rally behind the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates.

As reported by Daily Trust, he made the pledge at the Yoruba Political Mobilisation and Empowerment Programme organised by the Leke Abejide Foundation in Kano.

Bello sets ambitious vote target for 2027

The former governor pushed back against complacency within the non-indigenous voter bloc, pointing out that the nearly 500,000 votes reportedly delivered for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election fell short of what was achievable.

He said the 2027 target should be far higher, expressing confidence that the political network of the event's organiser, House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, could generate at least two million votes for the president.

Bello also urged the Yoruba community and other ethnic groups resident in Kano to back all APC candidates contesting governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state assembly seats, arguing that the numerical strength of non-indigenous communities across the state made them a significant political force.

He also appealed to Northern voters to support Tinubu's re-election bid, framing it as a matter of political stability.

"After eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is from the North, President Tinubu has not even completed his first four-year term. Must he complete his eight years before power returns to the North?" he asked.

Bello defended the administration's record on infrastructure, citing improvements on the Kano-Abuja Federal Highway as evidence of the president's commitment to the region.

He said he had sent an aide to assess the road's progress two days before the event and received a positive report.

Abejide commits N500m for women's cooperative loans

Abejide, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State and is also the Asiwaju of Yoruba people in Kano, told attendees he had lived and built his business in the city for about 34 years. He described the empowerment programme as his way of giving back to the community that shaped him before he entered politics.

The lawmaker said N500m had been set aside as interest-free loans for women organised into cooperative societies. Beneficiaries include Yoruba women from eight states, as well as Igala and Ebira communities from Kogi State who are resident in Kano.

He added that widows would receive food, clothing and financial support, while separate programmes for youths and men were being planned.

Tinubu predicted to win 2027 presidential election

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that deputy senate president Jibrin Barau spoke at the inauguration of APC campaign committees across three Kano LGAs.

Barau cited assessments by political analysts and the current state of Nigerian politics to back his prediction of Tinubu's re-election.

The senator called on APC members in Kano to mobilise voters and campaign vigorously ahead of the 2027 general elections.