The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has challenged claims that Northern Nigeria is turning against President Bola Tinubu, citing the support of prominent northern political leaders.
Yilwatda spoke on Tuesday when he received a delegation of the Arewa for Asiwaju group, led by former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
He said the presence of former governors, speakers and Senate presidents in the group challenged claims that the North had withdrawn its support for Tinubu.
“I am happy that the North is now talking. This is because sometimes people say the North doesn’t like President Tinubu. And I say, who are those people that are from the North? Who? Is it the former governors? Most of them are here,” he said.
“Is it former speakers from the North? Most of them are here. Is it the former Senate presidents from the North? Most of them are here. Just keep on calling the names of the people that you know in the North. They’re in this group,” he added.
Yilwatda defended Tinubu’s record in the region, citing road construction, gas infrastructure and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
“There’s no government in the history of Nigeria that has constructed more kilometres of road for the North than President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
He added that roads under construction or already procured across the North covered slightly more than 3,000 kilometres.
The APC chairman urged northern leaders to promote awareness of federal programmes, particularly the student loan scheme, and encourage more students to benefit.
He also asked the group to organise a press conference involving prominent northern leaders to publicly express their support for Tinubu.
Yilwatda urged the group to coordinate its mobilisation with the APC across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the effort should cover presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
