Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar, says God chose him to lead the campaign.
Yari stated this on Friday in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, during a consultation meeting with party leaders and other stakeholders as part of his mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, although his responsibility as director-general requires him to travel across the country to market Tinubu’s achievements and vision, he deems it necessary to return to his home state and seek the support of its political stakeholders.
“After the council, I found it necessary to come back home. It is my responsibility to work in every corner of Nigeria to market Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, showcase what he has done in the past three years and explain his thinking towards having a better Nigeria and why he should be elected as president.
“But this is my homeland. So wherever we are going to, it must be a success. We need to come together and rub shoulders with any other state that is going to lead us. We are one of the three, by God’s grace.”
Yari said the meeting brought together critical stakeholders, including ward and local government working committees, state-level party officials and other stakeholders.
He said the responsibility of delivering victory for Tinubu in 2027 rests on all party members and stakeholders, not only on him as campaign council director-general.
Yari described his appointment as a responsibility entrusted to him by God, adding that there were thousands of people who could have been appointed to the position.
“Allah chose me to be here as director-general. Therefore, their support should be vast. We are here to tell them what we are expecting from them and what we are hoping to have as a party,” Yari said.
He expressed confidence that Zamfara would give Tinubu massive support in the 2027 presidential election.
“I have mentioned a number, but by God’s grace, our work will not be less than one of the three. We will give massive support to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Insha Allah, we are going to win the election,” he said.
Yari said the campaign would involve different forms of consultations and mobilisation, including engagements with stakeholders, open discussions and mass rallies.
He said the campaign would focus on the performance of the Tinubu administration, rather than attacking political opponents or individuals.
“Our campaign is not to mention anybody. We will mention what we have done for Nigeria, where we met Nigeria economically and where we met Nigeria security-wise,” he said.
Yari acknowledged that some of the economic policies introduced by the Tinubu administration had caused hardship, but said some reforms were necessary to reposition the country’s economy.
“Some of the economic policies you must do through some kind of painful process for the economy. Therefore, we are working tirelessly for Nigeria. Asiwaju is working tirelessly, thinking about how Nigeria is going to look like,” he said.
On taxation, Yari said the government’s tax reforms were designed to make people pay according to their earnings without imposing an undue burden on the masses.
“We said we are going to base our tax on earnings. We are not going to tax the masses and make them suffer from the new tax regime. Those that are not paying will pay, while those that earn will pay according to their earnings,” he said.
He argued that Nigeria could generate sufficient revenue through taxation to sustain the economy if the system was properly implemented.
Yari also pointed to increased revenues available to state governments under the Tinubu administration, comparing the situation with his time as governor of Zamfara State.
He said states were now receiving significantly higher allocations, which, according to him, could provide more resources for development if properly managed.
Speaking on insecurity, Yari said the Federal Government was spending huge resources to combat terrorism and banditry across the country.
He disclosed that Tinubu had shown him documentation relating to the procurement of ammunition and other security equipment worth more than $7 million.
Yari said such expenditure would otherwise have been available for infrastructure and economic development, but had become necessary because of the security challenges facing the country.
“I can tell you what is being spent to control the issue of security. It is unprecedented. I cannot believe it,” he said.
According to him, the government was working with security personnel to defeat insecurity and free resources for infrastructure and economic development.
“By God’s grace, we are going to succeed, Insha Allah. Bola Ahmed Tinubu will succeed in fighting this insecurity and banditry,” he said.
Yari added that the campaign would be centred on issues affecting Nigerians and the future of the country.
“No individual is before us today. Nigeria is before us as Nigerians. That is the basis of our campaign and how we want the country to look like,” Yari said.
