Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has promised to spend two weeks in Kano State to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bello said he was ready to personally relocate to the state for weeks, if necessary, to mobilise support and ensure both leaders emerge victorious at the polls.
He made the declaration at the Yoruba Political Mobilisation and Empowerment Programme organised by the Leke Abejide Foundation in Kano, where he called on Yoruba and other non-indigenous communities to unite behind the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Governor said he was prepared to take mobilisation campaign beyond political speeches and personally participate in efforts to deliver the two leaders.
He challenged the communities to demonstrate their political strength, insisting that their contribution to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election, when they reportedly delivered nearly 500,000 votes, was not enough.
He said the target should be substantially higher in 2027, expressing confidence that the political network of the programme’s organiser, House of Representatives member Leke Abejide, could mobilise at least two million votes for Tinubu.
Bello urged the Yoruba community and other ethnic groups to extend their support to All APC candidates, including those contesting for governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and state assembly seats.
According to him, the political strength of non-indigenous communities in Kano should not be underestimated because of their numerical presence and established relationships across the state.
“We have responsibility to mobilise our people and ensure that their votes count”, he said.
Bello also appealed to Northerners to support Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the president should be allowed to complete his constitutionally permitted two terms in office in the interest 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 Tinubu administration’s performance, particularly in infrastructure development, citing the progress on the Kano-Abuja Federal Highway as evidence of the president’s commitment to the North.
Earlier, Abejide, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State, said Kano remained his home, having lived and established his business in the commercial city for about 34 years.
He said the empowerment programme was his way of giving back to the people with whom he grew up and built his business before venturing into politics.
Abejide, who is also the Asiwaju of Yoruba people in Kano, disclosed that N500m had been set aside as interest-free loans for women organised into cooperative societies to expand their businesses.
He said the foundation had established a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the revolving loans were properly utilised and repaid so that beneficiaries could also benefit.
He urged the beneficiaries and other residents to support Tinubu and APC candidates in the 2027 elections, describing the political mobilisation as a collective responsibility.
In his remarks, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the rights of non-indigenous communities and ensuring their participation in governance.
He said his administration had appointed special advisers representing Yoruba, Igbo and northern minority communities as part of efforts to promote inclusiveness.
The governor added that the government would consider extending similar representation to Igala communities living in Kano, while commending Abejide for extending his empowerment activities beyond his constituency, saying, the initiative demonstrated that leadership and commitment to human development transcended geographical boundaries.
Governor Yusuf assured the communities that Kano would remain their home and that his administration would continue to guarantee their security, peace and participation in the state’s political and economic development.
-9News Nigeria.
