BY JULIET EKWENUGO, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has accused opposition parties of using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread misleading information ahead of the 2027 general election, urging voters to judge candidates by their records rather than regional identity.
Sani spoke on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off at Ranchers Bees Stadium, Kaduna, where he highlighted projects and programmes he said demonstrated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the State.
The governor said the Federal Government had released N172 billion for the reconstruction of the 152-kilometre Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road, which he described as having been abandoned for more than 40 years.
According to him, the project was among the commitments made during Tinubu’s campaign visit to Kaduna in December 2022.
Sani also said security along the Birnin Gwari corridor had improved, allowing travellers to use the route without the level of security escort previously required.
Recalling the security situation at the time of the campaign, the governor said he had rejected advice against visiting Birnin Gwari because of insecurity.
He said the state government had also made progress in reopening public institutions affected by insecurity.
“When we came in 2023, more than 300 schools were closed because of insecurity. More than 150 primary healthcare centres were also closed. Today, I’m happy to inform you that all the schools and primary healthcare centres have reopened,” he said.
The governor commended Tinubu for interventions on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, saying the road had reached 95 per cent completion.
He recalled that the President had assured him of support for the reconstruction of the highway, which he described as crucial to connectivity between the northern and southern parts of the country.
Sani also highlighted other road projects, including the Zaria-Soba-Birnin Gwari route, saying the Federal Government had begun mobilising contractors for the project.
On education, he said the North-West had benefited from student support interventions worth N84 billion, covering about 414,000 students.
He said the assistance had provided opportunities for children from low-income families to pursue their education.
Sani also cited the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, saying 34,000 people in the North-West had benefited from skills training, equipment and allowances.
The governor praised the Federal Government’s agricultural interventions, describing agriculture as a major pillar of the northern economy.
He said his support for Tinubu was based on what he described as the administration’s record in infrastructure, security, education, healthcare and human capital development.
Sani urged APC supporters to remain vigilant against what he described as the opposition’s use of artificial intelligence to spread misleading information ahead of the 2027 general election.
He called on voters to assess candidates based on their records rather than appeals to regional identity.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, declared that Northern Nigeria would support Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Yari said Kaduna was deliberately chosen to host the campaign’s first major gathering because of its political significance in the North.
He commended Sani and other APC governors for mobilising support for the event, saying their collective efforts contributed to the turnout.
Yari also defended the Tinubu administration against allegations that it had neglected farmers, insisting that the Federal Government had introduced measures to support agricultural production and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
On the economy, he argued that the administration had made progress despite the challenges it inherited, citing changes in economic indicators.
He urged party supporters to counter what he described as misleading claims by opposition parties, particularly information circulated through social media and artificial intelligence tools.
Yari expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects in the 2027 general election, saying the party would rely on its record in government and the support of its members across the country.
