Yari, Kebbi governor back Tinubu for 2027 as PDP faction vows opposition

The campaign for the 2027 presidential election is picking up speed, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) taking opposite stands on President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid.

On Monday, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, and Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris visited the Emir of Gwandu's palace in Birnin Kebbi to seek royal blessings and prayers for the campaign.

Both men argued that the South should be allowed to complete eight years in power, in line with Nigeria's rotational presidency. They asked voters in the North West and the wider North to back Tinubu in the election scheduled for 16 January 2027.

"The North is known for its fairness," Yari said, adding that power left the North West only three years ago and that it was fair to let the South finish its eight years.

Governor Idris said Kebbi was the first state to endorse the President for a second term. He dismissed reports on social media suggesting otherwise as "a bunch of lies".

The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar, prayed for victory for the President and the governor in 2027. He described Tinubu as an amiable leader and asked him to review progress so far and build on it.

Yari also said the President had improved security by deploying more weapons, military hardware and special forces to trouble spots, especially in the North.

PDP faction rejects alliance with APC

On Tuesday, a PDP faction led by Taminu Turaki said it would never support Tinubu's re-election. Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said in a statement that the party's duty was to offer an alternative to the government in power, not to back it.

The statement responded to reports that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had asked PDP candidates to collapse their structures and support the President. Ememobong said the message was meant for people who pretend to be in the opposition while working for the ruling party.

He called the arrangement a "political anomaly" and warned that it threatened electoral democracy.

The faction also said its case over the party's leadership had been heard at the Court of Appeal and that it was waiting for judgment. It urged members to remain steadfast.

For ordinary Nigerians, the dispute matters because it shapes who will be on the ballot and how the opposition campaigns on the cost of living, fuel prices, security and jobs ahead of the vote.

What happens next

The APC campaign will keep courting traditional rulers and northern voters, while the PDP faction waits for the Court of Appeal's decision on its leadership tussle. The election is set for 16 January 2027.