A major ally and strong loyalist of the former governor of Kano state and an ex-national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, Malam Umar Idris Shuaibu, has expressed confidence that the north, particularly Kano, will massively vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

Shuaibi said the vote for President Tinubu in the next election would be the repayment for his goodwill. He added that this would be influenced by Tinubu's long-standing relationship with the northern leaders and the humility of Ganduje.

Why the North will vote for Tinubu

According to The Punch, the APC chieftain maintained that Tinubu's reconciliatory political stance has strengthened the unity in the party. He said this has also consolidated his presence in the north-west region and the north at large.

He also commended President Tinubu for his long-standing relationship with the political leaders in the northern region, noting that the region would reciprocate the goodwill with a large number of votes during the election.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu has always stood by the north, and he will surely be rewarded when the time comes.

The APC chieftain also noted that the political influence of Ganduje and his leadership style are the party's backbone, creating stability and growing popularity in Kano and beyond, even after leaving office as the party's national chairman.

Atiku making permutations against Tinubu in north

This came amid the alignment and realignment among political actors ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, making permutations to unseat President Tinubu in the next poll.

Atiku has been at the forefront of unseating President Tinubu since he lost to him in the 2023 presidential election. He had been calling on the opposition leaders in the country to come together under one umbrella to produce a candidate, saying it is the best way to sack the ruling party in 2027.

However, the former vice president has presented himself as the right candidate for the coalition to sack Tinubu in 2027. While some coalition leaders, who earlier joined him, appeared to be backing out, such as Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku appeared to be gaining some support from the northern region, as he pursued his presidential ambition.