President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress are ramping up efforts to secure bloc votes in the South and North-Central ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Party sources say the strategy aims to offset growing resistance in parts of the North and lock in a clear path to re-election. The plan has been in motion for more than five months, according to officials familiar with its design.
An APC insider described the effort as a “materialising countermeasure” developed after intelligence reports warned of threats from the core North and a proposed opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Party. The source named the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; APC Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodimma; APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; and lawmaker James Faleke as key drivers of the strategy.
Discontent in the North has grown in recent months. Groups such as the Northern Elders Forum and the Arewa Consultative Forum have criticised the administration and signalled reluctance to back Tinubu for a second term. Critics cite concerns over appointments, project spread, and security. Prominent figures, including Nasir El-Rufai and Abubakar Malami, have also mobilised opposition within the region.
Election data underline the stakes. Of the 8,794,726 votes Tinubu secured in 2023, more than 5.3 million came from the North. He won six northern states, while PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar carried nine others. In the South, Atiku won Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa, while Labour Party candidate Peter Obi swept several states, including Lagos and Anambra.
To blunt northern pushback, the APC is consolidating control in the South and North-Central. An APC official said the goal is to prevent opposition wins in the South, citing lessons from 2023. The party plans to flip states through alliances and outreach. “Once we secure the targeted bloc votes in the South, we are 50 per cent down the victory line,” the official said.
In the North-Central, party leaders say coordination with the Presidency is underway. APC forum chairman Saleh Zazzaga said consultations with clerics, youth groups, and community leaders aim to deliver up to 90 per cent of the region’s votes. “The task is to deliver the North-Central for the President,” he said.
