Tinubu and the army of the north — by Dare Babarinsa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu showed he still has the fire when he addressed a truly mammoth rally in Kaduna at the launching of the APC presidential campaign for the 2027 General Elections.
The city trooped out to welcome him, thanks to the mobilising prowess of Governor Uba Sani. The rally is a challenge for the opposition who now needs to carry their campaign beyond social media and the comfortable retreat in Dubai.
The figures don’t favour the leading opposition candidates; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi. Neither of them control any of the six geopolitical zones. Abubakar’s home state of Adamawa has only 2.4 million voters, according to the figures released by INEC. Obi’s Anambra State has 2.9 voters. This is far inferior to Lagos 7.4 million voters.
The Kaduna rally shows that the people are willing to listen to the President as he explains his programme and hope for the future. In the Tinubu home base of the South-west, there are 19.6 million registered voters. The challenge is getting the majority to go and vote on election day. The North has consistently demonstrated that it has the capability to get its army of voters to cast their votes. That is one thing Tinubu and his people have to learn from the North. Beyond the rallies, voters must exercise their civic responsibility.
