President Bola Tinubu on Saturday launched the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the 2027 presidential election in Kaduna, accusing opposition politicians of creating the hunger and poverty they now criticise his administration over.

At the rally held at Ranchers Bees Stadium, Tinubu defended his government's economic reforms and infrastructure programme, urging Nigerians to give him another term. He also inaugurated an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja–Kaduna highway, part of the larger Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano dual carriageway, through a virtual commissioning ceremony marked by a symbolic ribbon-cutting.

“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger; they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” Tinubu said.

According to a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the remarks appeared directed at opposition figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who served from 1999 to 2007. The statement linked the President's criticism to the privatisation of state-owned businesses during that period, arguing that thousands of workers were left without their gratuities and pensions. It said the Tinubu administration had been paying outstanding entitlements.

Tinubu thanked Kaduna residents for supporting him in the 2023 election and urged them to vote for him and other APC candidates in 2027. He cited federal infrastructure investments in Kaduna and the wider North as evidence of his administration's record.

He also defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, describing it as necessary to tackle corruption and economic leakages. The President praised APC governors for paying salaries regularly and urged supporters to guard against misinformation during the election campaign.

Shettima Appeals to Northern Voters

Vice-President Kashim Shettima urged northern voters to reciprocate Tinubu's past support for political figures from the region, citing his backing of Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections, as well as his earlier support for Atiku Abubakar and Nuhu Ribadu.

“We won the last election because you saw the best option before you,” Shettima said, calling for continued political cooperation.

He also highlighted federal projects in Kaduna and other parts of the North, including the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, the Federal University of Education in Zaria, and major infrastructure projects such as the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline and the Sokoto–Badagry highway.

Uba Sani Highlights Federal Projects

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani thanked Tinubu for supporting state governments and acknowledged First Lady Oluremi Tinubu's initiatives for women and children.

Sani highlighted work on the 123-kilometre Kaduna–Birnin Gwari road, which he said had been abandoned for more than 40 years. He also said more than 300 schools and 150 primary healthcare centres had reopened after insecurity forced them to close.

The governor further cited plans for a metropolitan rail project and funding for students through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying the North-West had benefited from federal education financing.

He urged APC supporters to remain vigilant against misinformation on social media, including misleading material allegedly generated using artificial intelligence.

APC Leaders Defend Tinubu's Record

Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said Kaduna was deliberately chosen for the campaign launch. He expressed confidence in the party's mobilisation efforts and defended the administration's economic reforms, urging Nigerians to assess the government on its policies and performance.

Minister of Works Dave Umahi highlighted federal road projects during the highway commissioning. The Federal Government has described the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano corridor as a major transport route linking the Federal Capital Territory with commercial centres in the North-West.

The State House said the rally was attended by APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Shettima, the First Lady, the wife of the Vice-President, 32 APC governors and former party leaders, including Abdullahi Adamu and Abdullahi Ganduje.

Heckling and Opposition Criticism

The rally also drew competing accounts of the crowd's response. Daily Trust reported that some attendees shouted “Ba ma yi” as Tinubu took the podium and described the response to his call of “Kaduna” as mixed.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council criticised the event, alleging that the stadium had empty seats and that some attendees had been paid to participate. The Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation also dismissed the rally as “political theatre”.

The allegations about paid attendance and the opposition's characterisation of the event were not independently established. Other reports, including coverage by The Guardian, described APC supporters gathering at the venue ahead of the rally.

Before the event, the Kaduna State Government also disowned a letter circulating online that claimed ₦2.3 trillion had been budgeted for the campaign flag-off.

The Kaduna rally marked the beginning of the APC's public campaign for Tinubu's re-election, with the President using the occasion to defend his administration's economic policies and highlight infrastructure projects as he seeks a second term in 2027.