Tinubu, Shettima, Governors, APC Leaders Storm Kaduna

President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, state governors and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders are expected in Kaduna on Saturday for the formal launch of the party’s presidential campaign ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Kaduna metropolis was bustling on Friday as party officials, supporters and members of various support groups arrived from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the event.

Among those expected are APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and Presidential Campaign Council Director-General Abdulaziz Yari. Hotels in and around the city were reportedly fully booked, while Ranchers Bees Stadium, the venue of the rally, was decorated with party flags, billboards and banners.

Security was tightened across the metropolis, particularly on roads leading to the stadium, with police and other security personnel deployed to manage the expected crowd.

In a prelude to the campaign launch, pro-Tinubu support groups staged a solidarity march through major streets in Kaduna on Friday, pledging to mobilise voters for the President’s re-election bid.

The march was organised by the Support Groups Mobilisation Directorate of the Presidential Campaign Council and attracted members of several groups backing Tinubu.

Speaking during the exercise, the directorate’s head, Silas Ali Agara, said the march was intended to welcome the President and demonstrate the commitment of supporters to his second-term ambition.

Agara said about 10,000 support groups had been mobilised nationwide, adding that structures had been established across the country to coordinate grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.

He explained that similar marches would be held in other states visited by the President during the campaign, with local groups expected to demonstrate their readiness to mobilise supporters.

Agara commended the participants, particularly the Northwest zonal coordinators, for their turnout despite the short notice. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of State for Works and other stakeholders to the exercise.

He said the mobilisation would continue beyond campaign rallies, with groups maintaining their presence in communities throughout the country.

Minister of State for Works Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who also serves as secretary of the Northwest support group structure, described the march as evidence of support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.

Goronyo said the groups were determined to secure the President’s re-election to enable him to continue his administration’s programmes. He cited ongoing projects in road infrastructure, water supply, education and healthcare as reasons for supporting another term.

He urged the groups to remain united and strengthen grassroots mobilisation, while calling for continued support for Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, other APC governors and the party’s elected representatives.

The minister expressed confidence that the exercise would improve coordination among party leaders, campaign officials and supporters as the campaign moves to other parts of the country.

Similarly, Director-General of the National Productivity Centre and Northwest coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group, Baffa Babba Dan’Agundi, commended the organisers and participants.

Dan’Agundi said the march was designed to demonstrate the preparedness of support groups ahead of the campaign launch and subsequent rallies. He added that the mobilisation strategy would help campaign officials assess the strength and readiness of groups in states scheduled to host the President.

He acknowledged the contributions of Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and other campaign stakeholders, assuring that the groups would continue working together to encourage grassroots participation.

Another campaign official also praised participants for responding at short notice and expressed optimism that their solidarity would continue throughout the campaign.

We expect massive turnout, says APC

The APC’s Northwest Publicity Secretary, Mailafiya Mada, said the party expected a large turnout at Saturday’s rally.

Mada said organisers had considered security, venue capacity, logistics and crowd management in their preparations.

He acknowledged concerns that Ranchers Bees Stadium might not accommodate everyone expected to attend but explained that Ahmadu Bello Stadium, an alternative venue, was undergoing renovation.

According to him, arrangements had been made to accommodate a certain number of people inside the venue and manage others outside.

Mada said the objective was not only to accommodate attendees but also to demonstrate the level of support for the President and the party.

He noted that state party chairmen leading delegations from across the country were aware of the venue’s limitations and would work within the arrangements made by the campaign leadership.

The spokesman said it was difficult to estimate attendance because participants would arrive through state party structures, sponsored delegations and individual politicians mobilising their supporters. However, he maintained that the rally would attract a large crowd.

Tinubu to inaugurate 81km Abuja-Kaduna highway section

President Tinubu is also scheduled to inaugurate an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja-Kaduna highway during his visit to Kaduna.

The road, built with continuously reinforced concrete pavement and fitted with streetlights, is part of the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme in the Northwest, where it is targeting a total of 4,084 kilometres of roads.

The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the planned inauguration in a post on his verified X account, saying the lighting would improve night-time travel along the corridor.

Onanuga also outlined road and railway projects being undertaken by the Tinubu administration across the region.

According to the presidential aide, the Federal Government has completed 348 kilometres of inherited and newly initiated road projects in the Northwest, while another 1,811 kilometres are partially completed.

He said 118 kilometres of Lot 1 of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway had been completed, including the 81-kilometre stretch scheduled for inauguration. Another 164 kilometres of Lot 2 had also been completed using reinforced concrete pavement.

Onanuga added that Tinubu would inaugurate the 77-kilometre Kaduna-Pambeguwa road during the APC presidential campaign rally in Jos, Plateau State.

Among the ongoing projects, he listed sections of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, described as the second legacy infrastructure project of the Renewed Hope administration.

The Sokoto section, covering 120 kilometres of dual carriageway or 240 kilometres of road, had reached 60 per cent completion, according to Onanuga. The Kebbi section, covering 254 kilometres of dual carriageway or 508 kilometres of road, had reached 40 per cent.

He also cited the 350-kilometre Sokoto-Zamfara-Zaria dual carriageway, equivalent to 700 kilometres of road, which is being constructed in four sections. The project had attained an average completion rate of 30 per cent across the four sections.

Other ongoing projects include the 153-kilometre Kano-Kongolam road, the 132-kilometre Zaria-Hunkuyi road and the 123-kilometre Mando-Birnin Gwari road.

The presidential aide further disclosed that the administration had completed 149 emergency road projects across the Northwest, although he did not provide details of their individual locations or costs.

On railway infrastructure, Onanuga identified the Kaduna Metropolitan Rail Line, valued at $865 million, and a light rail project in the Kano metropolitan area, valued at more than ₦1 trillion, as major transport investments in the region.

He did not specify the implementation stages or expected completion dates of the two metropolitan rail projects.