Former Zamfara State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, has claimed that opposition presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi lack the nationwide political support needed to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Yari made the remarks on Friday while speaking with State House correspondents after meeting Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The senator representing Zamfara West argued that a presidential candidate must have significant political support across both northern and southern Nigeria to stand a chance of winning the election.
According to him, neither Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), nor Obi, the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has demonstrated sufficient political influence across the two regions.
Yari Questions Atiku and Obi’s Regional Support
Yari challenged the opposition candidates to demonstrate their level of political control in states outside their traditional support bases.
He questioned whether Atiku could claim substantial political control in any southern state and whether Obi had a comparable level of influence in northern Nigeria.
The APC campaign chief argued that strong support in one region would not be sufficient to secure victory without a meaningful presence in the other.
He said: “Even if you have control of 80% of the South, if you don’t have anything in the North, you cannot make it. If you have 80% control of the North, if you don’t have any state in the South, you can’t make it.”
Yari maintained that Tinubu’s alleged political reach across the two regions gave the incumbent president an advantage ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
His assessment reflects the APC campaign council’s position on the importance of building a nationwide political coalition. The claims about the opposition candidates’ regional strength remain Yari’s political assessment.
Yari Cites Buhari’s Previous Presidential Election Defeats
To support his argument, Yari referred to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s unsuccessful presidential bids in 2003, 2007 and 2011.
Buhari contested the 2003 and 2007 elections under the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) before running under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011.
Yari argued that Buhari enjoyed considerable support in northern Nigeria during those elections but did not secure enough support across the South to win the presidency.
He said: “He had control of over 70% at that time, over 11 states in the North and had no control of one in the South. He couldn’t make it all the way.”
Buhari eventually won the presidency in 2015 under the All Progressives Congress, defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
Yari used the earlier election results to reinforce his argument that presidential candidates need support across different parts of the country.
Yari Claims Tinubu Has Wider Political Reach
The former Zamfara governor contrasted Buhari’s earlier campaigns with Tinubu’s current political position, claiming that the incumbent president enjoys support in more than 10 states in both northern and southern Nigeria.
“This is the calculation; it is not rocket science,” Yari said.
He also defended Tinubu’s record since taking office in May 2023, arguing that the administration had made progress in addressing the challenges it inherited.
According to Yari, the APC has achievements it can present to Nigerians as the party prepares for the next general election.
The administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system, remain important issues in the political debate ahead of 2027.
Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign Preparations
Yari’s comments came as the APC Presidential Campaign Council continued preparations for Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
Following his meeting with the president, Yari announced that the campaign’s formal flag-off was scheduled to take place in Kaduna on October 24, 2026. He also said the council planned to visit other states, including Rivers and Borno, as part of its mobilisation activities.
The 2027 presidential election is expected to feature competition between Tinubu and opposition candidates, including Atiku and Obi, amid debates over economic conditions, governance and political alliances.
While Yari has expressed confidence in Tinubu’s political position, the eventual outcome will depend on voters and the electoral process. His remarks highlight the APC’s emphasis on nationwide political support as parties prepare for the next presidential election.