The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has expressed confidence in the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 general elections, claiming that the ruling party enjoys considerable support among political leaders and ordinary citizens in Northern Nigeria.
Basiru said the North remained a major political base for the APC, pointing to ongoing mobilisation efforts and the involvement of influential figures in campaigns for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The APC national secretary made the remarks on Wednesday, October 21, while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
“The strength of the APC is in the Northern part of this country,” he said.
To support his position, Basiru cited the emergence of the Arewa for Asiwaju campaign movement, which is mobilising support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
He said prominent individuals from the North’s political, business and industrial circles had recently gathered to donate a campaign office to the movement, describing the development as an indication of growing support for the president.
Basiru also claimed that some politicians previously aligned with opposition parties were becoming open to working with the ruling party.
He specifically mentioned former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu among the political figures he said were moving towards cooperation with the APC.
The party official maintained that its support base in the North extended beyond political elites, insisting that ordinary citizens were also part of its growing network ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Beyond the party’s electoral prospects, Basiru criticised opposition parties over what he described as their reluctance to accept defeat in democratic contests.
He referenced Tinubu’s position that politicians seeking electoral victory must also be willing to accept defeat when the outcome does not favour them.
According to Basiru, the APC had experienced electoral setbacks and unfavourable court decisions but had accepted the outcomes, learned from them and continued its political activities.
He urged opposition parties to demonstrate a similar commitment to democratic principles by respecting electoral outcomes rather than treating defeat as unacceptable.
