Northern Students Mobilize for Tinubu's 2027 Bid

Student leaders representing tertiary institutions across the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027, pledging to galvanize student support throughout the region for his candidacy. This significant announcement was made during the inauguration of the Students’ Wing of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), an event attended by numerous Students’ Union Government presidents and other influential student leaders from universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Comrade Abdulmudallib Kalli Sheriff, Coordinator of the A4A Students’ Wing and the Students’ Union Government President of Bayero University, Kano, articulated that the decision to endorse President Tinubu was primarily driven by his administration’s impactful interventions in education, student financing, skills development, and comprehensive youth empowerment initiatives. Sheriff emphatically stated, “We are for Asiwaju. Our support is not passive or ceremonial; it is organised, deliberate and ready for action.” He specifically highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a transformative intervention that has significantly broadened access to tertiary education, especially benefiting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. He further committed to disseminating this message widely, declaring, “We will take this message to our campuses and communities. We will mobilise, communicate and organise.”

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, also weighed in, asserting that the endorsement is a direct reflection of the President’s “giant strides” across critical sectors including education, infrastructure, healthcare, and agriculture. Governor Sani emphasized the particular importance of President Tinubu’s investments in education and skills development for the Northern region. He noted, “Through TVET and NELFUND, the President has done a lot for the North. Available programme data indicate that Northern Nigeria accounts for over 60 per cent of beneficiaries under key interventions. That is measurable impact.” The governor stressed the symbiotic relationship between expanding educational opportunities and ensuring economic and digital inclusion, stating, “We cannot meaningfully empower young Nigerians politically while leaving them educationally, economically and digitally excluded.” He urged the student leaders to base their mobilization efforts on policy issues and the administration’s verified record, advising them to “Do not campaign with insults; campaign with evidence. Do not answer criticism with abuse; answer it with facts.”

Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, Director-General of Arewa for Asiwaju, reinforced the argument that the case for President Tinubu’s re-election should rest squarely on his tangible achievements, rather than future promises. “We are not here to ask for your support on the strength of promises. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already delivered, and the record speaks for itself,” Abubakar affirmed. He cited various interventions such as NELFUND, a multitude of TETFund projects, and the Energizing Education Programme as clear examples of initiatives benefiting students and tertiary institutions throughout the North. Abubakar, upon formally inaugurating the Students’ Wing, charged its members to “carry this record to every campus, every hostel and every student union across the 19 Northern States.” Accepting this mandate, Comrade Sheriff reiterated his commitment to establishing a robust and coordinated student mobilization network across the entire Northern region in preparation for the 2027 elections. He envisioned, “19 Northern States. The FCT. Thousands of campuses. Millions of young Nigerians. One coordinated movement,” concluding, “The students of Arewa are ready to stand with President Tinubu. We are ready to mobilise, organise, engage and deliver.”