A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and South-East chief, Tinubu Assist Group, George Agbakahi, has come arduous on former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido over his declare that the North is not going to vote for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
DAILY POST remembers that Lamido was quoted as saying that “no right-thinking northerner” would vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Talking at a PDP caucus assembly in Dutse, the previous governor additional claimed that the APC-led authorities was dragging Nigeria “deeper into poverty and hopelessness.”
However reacting, Agbakahi, who can also be a member, APC 2023 Presidential Marketing campaign Council, media and publicity directorate, stated such sweeping, reckless remarks, coming from an elder statesman had been preposterous and deeply disappointing.
In a press release he made accessible to DAILY POST on Tuesday, the APC chieftain stated Lamido’s claims “not solely do they fly within the face of information, however additionally they insult the intelligence and patriotism of tens of millions of Nigerians, notably Northerners, who’ve benefitted immediately from President Tinubu’s daring, inclusive and performance-driven management.”
He described the previous governor’s declare as “a well-recognized sample of political frustration.”
In keeping with him, “Lamido’s tirade follows a well-recognized sample by a number of egocentric, self centered and annoyed opposition politicians, unable to attach with the grassroots or clarify their occasion’s previous failings, resorting to empty rhetoric and divisive propaganda.
“However Nigerians are wiser now. The North, particularly, shouldn’t be deceived. They know when a authorities is working, whatever the challenges.”
Opposite to Lamido’s baseless allegations, Agbakahi stated the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had delivered tangible transformation in infrastructure, safety, agriculture, financial restoration, and training to say however few, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
He chronicled a few of the achievements of the Tinubu administration, which additionally factored the North, to incorporate the Kaduna Energy Plant, deserted for many years, key federal highways just like the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Street, Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, and Kano–Maiduguri Expressway, all present process reconstruction, connecting financial hubs and lowering journey time.
He stated additional that the administration was investing in Kano – Kaduna and Kano – Maradi gentle rail tasks, projected to create over 250,000 jobs in building, transport, and upkeep sectors, amongst others.
On the state of the economic system, he acknowledged that Nigeria’s economic system was in a deadly state in Might 2023 when President Tinubu assumed workplace which is partly attributed to the unhealthy governance and financial Mismanagement of the16 years of failed PDP administrations.
“Inflation underneath President Tinubu has lowered significantly to beneath 22% and monetary deficits are widening. Income has elevated exponentially.
“By a mixture of gasoline subsidy removing, FX charge unification, and enhanced income methods, the administration has lowered headline inflation to 21.30% in July 2025, boosted federal income collections, with the FIRS posting N21.6 trillion in 2024, almost double the N11.5 trillion recorded in 2023 and expanded overseas reserves from $34.9 billion to $40.9 billion, supported by robust non-oil exports and commerce surpluses.
He additionally noticed that the present administration had disbursed N9.58 trillion through FAAC to states in 2024, up from N3.2 trillion in 2023—permitting 33 states to clear N1.85 trillion in debt and perform huge and unimaginable infrastructural improvement.
“States are conveniently paying the brand new minimal wage of 75,000 and a few are even paying extra, the newest being the Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma who lately elevated the state minimal wage to 104,000 Naira month-to-month.
“Nigeria Customs service for the primary time in historical past generated 6.1 trillion in 2024 versus 2.60 trillion in 2022.
“NPA generated 894.86 billion in 2024 versus 361 billion Naira in 2022 whereas NIMASA generated 67 billion Naira in 2024 in comparison with 42.3 billion in 2023.
“The mining sector, a hitherto forgotten space generated 38 billion Naira in 2024 versus mere 6 billion Naira in 2023 with 800 million {dollars} in overseas direct funding since President Tinubu got here on board.
“This isn’t ‘hopelessness’ Sule Lamido,” Agbakahi declared, describing it as disciplined restoration.
He additional acknowledged that on the problem of safety, Lamido additionally ignored the dramatic beneficial properties in nationwide safety.
In keeping with him, Lamido forgot the truth that throughout the PDP administrations in 2013, Boko haram held on to fifteen native authorities areas within the North East, particularly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
“It’s on document that the APC administration of President Buhari was the one which extricated the Boko haram terrorists from these 15 LGAs within the North East.
“It is usually vital to notice that the terrorist kingpin that masterminded varied terrorist sleeper cells within the North previously many years corresponding to Abu Baraa and Mahmoud Al-Nigeri had been captured by the Nigerian safety forces underneath the APC administration of President Tinubu,” he stated, whereas noting that underneath President Tinubu’s watch “month-to-month terror-related deaths fell by over 90%, from 2,600+ in early 2023 to fewer than 200 by late 2024.”
He stated inside the identical interval, over 13,000 terrorists had been neutralized, and 124,000 combatants surrendered throughout aggressive counterinsurgency operations.
“The North is safer, extra secure, and step by step regaining confidence, Sule Lamido,” Agbakahi argued.
He went on to state that underneath agricultural Transformation, the federal government had acknowledged that the North is Nigeria’s agricultural heartland.
He stated in that path, Tinubu had launched a $158.15 million Agriculture Worth Chain Programme throughout 9 northern states, with assist from multilateral companions.
“Revitalized livestock improvement through a devoted Ministry of Livestock, aiming to deal with farmer–herder battle.
“Facilitated the cultivation of 10,000 hectares of farmland for displaced individuals and supported tens of millions of farmers by sponsored inputs and loans,” together with financing of 5 million farmers, over 70% from northern Nigeria.
Whereas additional puncturing Lamido’s stance, the APC chieftain recognized the institution of the Nationwide Fee for Almajiri and Out-of-Faculty Kids with 101 almajiri facilities and 120 studying hubs launched nationwide, as a part of the federal government’s training agenda.
He didn’t miss the Scholar Mortgage Scheme (NELFUND), observing that over 275,000 northern college students out of 400,000 beneficiaries nationally have acquired loans, amounting to N45 billion (55%) out of N77 billion disbursed to this point (Enterprise Day, August 2025).
Agbakahi added that nationally, out-of-school kids dropped from 10.5 million to underneath 9 million, whereas college enrollment rose from 8% to almost 13% in two years.
He stated contemplating these indices, “Sule Lamido could communicate for his personal frustration, however not for the enlightened individuals of Northern Nigeria.
“The information present that this administration shouldn’t be marginalizing the North, or any area, however somewhat mobilizing it.
“Farmers in Katsina are exporting produce throughout Nigeria. College students in Sokoto are receiving loans and returning to highschool.
“The Kaduna energy plant is progressing on observe. Mild rail is coming to Kano. Safety is returning to Borno. That’s progress. That’s management.”
“President Tinubu could not have achieved all the pieces anticipated by Nigerians; nobody can inside two years, however he has ruled with imaginative and prescient, self-discipline, and equity.
“Sule Lamido’s divisive feedback can’t rewrite information or erase achievements. The 2027 elections can be based mostly on efficiency, not propaganda.
“And by each measurable indicator, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is constructing a stronger, safer, smarter, and extra united Nigeria.
“It’s each disingenuous and uncritical for Sule Lamido to generalize that all the North is not going to vote for President Tinubu in 2027. No ethnic or regional voting bloc in Nigeria is monolithic.
“Electoral habits is influenced by a posh mixture of native dynamics, occasion constructions, candidate attraction, and socio-political realities distinctive to every state.
“Even inside Lamido’s so-called ‘North,’ voting patterns have all the time different. Within the 1979 basic elections throughout the Second Republic, as an example, Plateau State supported the NPP, Sokoto State voted for the NPN, whereas Kano State embraced the PRP.
“These divergences replicate the unbiased political consciousness throughout northern states.
“The present democratic dispensation additional underscores this variety.
“At this time, Sokoto and Zamfara are managed by the PDP, Kano is ruled by the NNPP, whereas Kaduna, Kebbi, Benue, and Niger States are led by the APC.
“These distinctions clearly present that Northern Nigeria can’t be politically herded right into a single narrative or managed by the feelings of anybody politician.
“It was solely President Buhari of blessed reminiscence in Nigerian historical past who had that organic-like following in Northern Nigeria getting 12 million votes every time he ran for the presidency.
He stated Lamido shouldn’t be President Buhari and “you don’t have the cult-like followership even in Jigawa State, how rather more in Northern Nigeria.
“Lamido’s sweeping assertion shouldn’t be solely traditionally inaccurate but in addition a gross underestimation of the North’s political sophistication and evolving democratic maturity.
“Allow us to proceed to put information over fiction and nation above occasion,” he concluded.
