BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure no fewer than 25 million votes from Northern Nigeria in the 2027 general elections.
The group also called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remain united ahead of the polls, warning that internal divisions could weaken the party’s electoral strength in 2027.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Speaker, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, the Assembly said the President had demonstrated bold and decisive leadership through a series of economic and governance reforms aimed at stabilising and repositioning the country.
The group highlighted key policy measures to include the removal of fuel subsidy, unification of the foreign exchange market, infrastructure development, and investment-driven initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the group, although the reforms had come with short-term economic pressures, they were laying the foundation for long-term national growth and stability.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, the Assembly urged APC leaders, governors, lawmakers, and grassroots supporters to close ranks and place collective interest above personal ambition.
AYA warned that no political party could afford internal disunity in what it described as a highly competitive electoral environment.
“The time for personal ambition is behind us. The time for collective victory is before us”.
The group advised aggrieved members of the APC to utilise internal party mechanisms for resolving disputes rather than taking actions capable of undermining the party’s cohesion.
On opposition politics, AYA dismissed any emerging coalition involving Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, saying such an arrangement lacked the national spread, structure and political depth to pose a serious challenge to the ruling party.
The Assembly also urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to reconsider any presidential ambition in 2027, in the interest of national unity and the country’s established power rotation understanding between the North and the South.
The group maintained that President Tinubu, as a Southern president serving his first term, should be allowed to complete a second term in office in line with this political arrangement.
AYA further claimed that influential Northern political figures, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, remained supportive of the President’s re-election bid.
The group also congratulated President Tinubu on his victory at the APC presidential primary, describing it as a clear expression of confidence in his leadership within the party.
