Niger State Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago, on Tuesday, openly threw his weight behind the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declaring himself the unofficial Director General of the president’s 2027 campaign and designating Niger State as the official campaign headquarters.
Speaking during a political gathering in Minna, the state capital, Bago, said his decision was borne out of loyalty to President Tinubu and a firm belief in the continuity of his administration’s policies. He argued that it was premature for any faction within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to begin clamouring for a change in the power rotation agreement, warning that such moves could threaten the party’s cohesion and the country’s political stability.
The governor took a swipe at unnamed party members from the North who have been subtly advocating for a northern presidential candidate in the next general election. According to him, Nigeria’s “unwritten agreement” on power rotation between the North and South has been instrumental in maintaining national unity since the return to democracy in 1999.
“We completed the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, and Asiwaju is just in his second year in office. We must respect the principle of fairness and allow him to complete his term, and if possible, get a second one,” Bago said to cheer from supporters.
Bago stressed that Niger State, with its strategic location, size, and political significance, was best positioned to serve as the operational base for Tinubu’s campaign machinery. He assured party members that the state would mobilise unprecedented grassroots support for the president, leveraging its central role in the North-Central region.
His declaration is expected to stir political debate within the APC, especially among blocs and interest groups already strategising for 2027. While Tinubu has not officially announced his intention to seek re-election, his loyalists across the country have begun early mobilisation, signalling a potentially intense intra-party contest in the coming years.
Political observers note that Bago’s bold move could either consolidate Tinubu’s hold in the North or provoke pushback from rival power blocs — a development that might test the party’s internal unity ahead of the next presidential race
