2027: Uba Sani declares readiness to take bullet for Tinubu
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying he is prepared to defend the president’s political ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sani stated this during an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Tuesday, insisting that his support for Tinubu was based on conviction and would not change despite public concerns over economic hardship.
“I have no apology supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I will continue to support him till the last minute,” the governor said.
Asked whether he was ready to take a political bullet for Tinubu, Sani expressed confidence that his position would eventually be justified.
“I can tell you today, tomorrow, and next tomorrow, that I will be vindicated,” he said.
The governor traced his relationship with Tinubu to 1994, when both were involved in the struggle for the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria.
He recalled Tinubu’s association with the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and his support for pro-democracy activists during the military era, when some campaigners were forced into exile.
Sani said their shared experience in the struggle for democracy and the devolution of power had influenced his assessment of Tinubu.
He also pointed to projects and federal appointments he said had benefited Kaduna State under the current administration.
Among the projects he listed were the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Southern Kaduna, the Federal University of Education in Zaria, the Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Rigachikun and the proposed conversion of Kaduna Polytechnic into a federal university of technology.
He also cited the planned reconstruction of the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road and the appointment of Kaduna indigenes to senior federal positions.
According to Sani, these benefits were for the state rather than personal favours to him.
“The favour he has done is not to me, because he has not given me. It’s to the state,” he said.
On whether voters in northern Nigeria would support Tinubu for another term despite economic difficulties, the governor argued that opposition parties must offer a credible alternative to the president.
“When you say don’t vote for Asiwaju, you must bring an alternative,” he said.
Sani acknowledged the severity of poverty in northern Nigeria but argued that the region’s challenges predated Tinubu’s presidency and had worsened over the years.
He said northern leaders needed to examine their records and accept responsibility for the region’s problems, adding that he had previously urged them to reflect on their performance.
“The northerners are their own problem. We shouldn’t run away. The only way to help, I think, is for us to sit down and look at ourselves in the mirror, and accept that we are the problem,” he said.
The governor’s remarks come as political actors position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections, with economic hardship, insecurity and the performance of the Tinubu administration expected to feature prominently in campaigns.
On security challenges in Kaduna State, Sani acknowledged continuing concerns, particularly attacks in Millennium City.
He said he had discussed the situation with military and security officials and that plans were underway to strengthen security in the area.
