2027: Arewa, Afenifere drum support for Tinubu’s re-election bid

— Reaffirm Need for Unity and Peace successful Nigeria

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

Two large socio-political groups — the Arewa Think-Tank (ATT) and the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere — person declared their enactment for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu successful 2027, portion reaffirming their committedness to Nigeria’s unity and peace.

Leaders of the Arewa Think-Tank, comprising distinguished professionals from the 19 bluish states and led by the convener, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, paid a courtesy sojourn to the Afenifere National Leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, astatine his Akure residence successful Ondo State.

Speaking with journalists aft the closed-door meeting, Yakubu said the North remains committed to President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“We are already committed to Tinubu’s re-election. We don’t treble speech oregon play treble games,” Yakubu said. “When our governors astir 2022–2023 decided that powerfulness indispensable displacement to the South-West, they spoke straight and chose Tinubu. We volition proceed connected that way until, by God’s grace, 2031.”

He added that the determination was guided by fairness and the rule of rotational leadership.

“Even if a northerner shows interest, I person said it earlier — we are committed. For the unity of this country, powerfulness indispensable enactment successful the South until 2031. The North has had it for 8 years; it should spell backmost to the South. That is the gentleman’s agreement,” helium said.

Yakubu described the sojourn arsenic portion of efforts to beforehand nationalist cohesion, inter-regional collaboration, and sustainable improvement — a concern helium said was pivotal successful shaping Nigeria’s way to bid and prosperity.

Both delegations reaffirmed their content that Nigeria’s advancement depends connected justice, equity, and sincere dialog among its divers peoples. They besides stressed that the nation’s challenges — insecurity, economical instability, and governmental part — necessitate a unified, patriotic effect beyond taste oregon partisan interests.

Yakubu further commended President Tinubu’s governmental volition and economical reforms, noting that the Arewa Think-Tank “is present to contiguous the President’s awesome midterm scorecard and to reassure the South-West of Northern Nigeria’s enactment and practice up to 2031.”

“We came to convey Baba Fasoranti for giving america 1 of his astir trusted sons, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a visionary Nigerian person who has done precise good successful the past 2 years,” Yakubu said.

He besides described Pa Fasoranti arsenic “a nationalist without taste oregon spiritual colouration — an encyclopaedia of Nigerian past and commitment.”

Speaking connected behalf of Pa Fasoranti, erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Oba Olu Falae, welcomed the bluish delegation, noting that the West and North person agelong worked unneurotic for Nigeria’s bid and progress.

Falae commended President Tinubu’s courageousness successful addressing longstanding economical challenges.

“We convey God we present person a civilian president who understands Nigeria’s problems and has the courageousness to face them,” helium said.

He cited Tinubu’s removal of substance subsidy and unification of speech rates arsenic bold but indispensable steps toward economical stability.

“No authorities successful the past had the courageousness to region subsidy oregon harmonise speech rates,” Falae said. “When Tinubu did it, galore radical screamed due to the fact that it was painful, but it was perfectly necessary. Today, prices of basal nutrient items are going down. A congo of garri was ₦1,500 past year; present it’s ₦700. A truckload of cassava that sold for ₦450,000 present costs ₦150,000. These are existent improvements.”

He added that portion the reforms were tough, they person started yielding affirmative results, particularly successful the cultivation sector.

“We person a batch to suffer if Nigeria fails — and it indispensable not fail,” Falae stressed.

Also speaking, Apagun Kole Omololu, National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, said some groups stock the aforesaid imaginativeness and person recovered successful Tinubu “a person with audacity, vision, and courage.”

“He is bold enough...