The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum has thrown its weight behind Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari, expressing confidence in his ability to mobilise the region and contribute significantly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027.
The endorsement comes as the ruling APC intensifies its political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the North-Central region emerging as an important battleground for the party.
Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State and serving senator, was recently appointed Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. He has subsequently declared confidence that Tinubu will secure a second term and that the APC will retain the presidency beyond 2031.
The North-Central APC Forum’s backing is significant because the region played an important role in the 2023 presidential election. President Tinubu lost several key North-Central states to Peter Obi, including Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory. The APC has since been working to strengthen its political structure and regain ground across the zone.
The forum has previously said its objective is to deliver a substantial bloc of North-Central votes to the President in 2027. Its chairman, Saleh Zazzaga, said party leaders were working with the Presidency and the APC national secretariat to consolidate support throughout the region.
According to Zazzaga, the party’s target is to secure between 80 and 90 per cent of votes in the North-Central for Tinubu.
The latest endorsement of Yari therefore fits into a broader APC strategy of building a coordinated political structure ahead of the election.
For the ruling party, the North-Central represents a strategically important electoral zone because of its geographical position between the northern and southern parts of the country and its diverse political composition.
The region comprises Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states, alongside the Federal Capital Territory. Its voting patterns have historically been competitive, making it an important target for presidential candidates.
The APC’s renewed attention to the region also reflects the party’s desire to reverse some of its 2023 losses.
In the 2023 presidential election, the APC struggled in parts of the North-Central, while Obi’s Labour Party made significant gains. Reclaiming those votes will therefore be central to the ruling party’s efforts to build a winning coalition for 2027.
Yari’s appointment as campaign council Director-General places him at the centre of that mobilisation effort.
The former Zamfara governor has a long history within Nigeria’s political establishment and the APC, having previously served as governor and later as senator. His political experience could prove useful as the party attempts to coordinate its campaign structure across different regions and interest groups.
The APC has already begun presenting Tinubu’s economic reforms, infrastructure projects and other government policies as reasons Nigerians should renew the President’s mandate.
The opposition, however, continues to challenge the government’s record, particularly on the cost of living, insecurity, unemployment and the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy and other economic reforms.
The political contest is therefore likely to become increasingly intense as the election approaches.
For the APC, winning the North-Central will require more than endorsements from party organisations. The party will have to convert political mobilisation into actual voter support amid growing competition from opposition forces.
The development also comes as opposition parties intensify their own preparations. The 2027 contest is already shaping up around competing political alliances, with Peter Obi and other opposition figures seeking to challenge the APC’s hold on the presidency.
The North-Central APC Forum’s endorsement of Yari consequently represents both a vote of confidence in the campaign director and a declaration of intent by the ruling party.
Whether the mobilisation will translate into the 80–90 per cent vote target being discussed by APC leaders remains a matter for the electorate.
For now, however, the message from the North-Central APC Forum is clear: Yari has its backing, and the forum wants him to play a central role in delivering the region for Tinubu in 2027.
