By Chesa Chesa
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stepped up efforts to strengthen its electoral support base in northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) support group unveiling plans to mobilise voters across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group, led by former Kano State Governor and Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, announced its mobilisation strategy during a meeting with the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Tuesday in Abuja.
A4A pledged to work with the party and its presidential campaign structures to secure increased support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Shekarau said the group was established to complement the APC’s efforts by strengthening grassroots mobilisation, tackling voter apathy and converting the party’s political support in the North into votes at the polling booths.
He said A4A would build on the region’s numerical strength by developing strategies to increase voter turnout and improve the party’s performance in areas where it recorded poor results in previous elections.
According to him, the group had reviewed past election statistics, identified areas of strength and weakness, and mapped locations requiring targeted interventions to address low voter turnout and declining participation in the electoral process.
Shekarau described voter apathy as a nationwide challenge since the return to democratic rule in 1999, stressing that political leaders had a responsibility to identify its causes and develop practical solutions.
He said A4A would collaborate with the APC, the Presidential Campaign Council, governors and other political stakeholders to secure strong electoral support for the party across the country, particularly in northern Nigeria.
The former governor disclosed that the group had created about 20 directorates with specific responsibilities and was developing a comprehensive grassroots structure extending from the national level to states, local government areas and wards.
He explained that coordinators had been appointed across the states and directed to establish sectoral structures to drive mobilisation.
Shekarau added that A4A would work alongside existing party officials rather than establish parallel structures.
He further disclosed that the group had compiled information on projects, programmes and other achievements of the Tinubu administration across northern Nigeria, which it planned to publicise to counter claims that the region had been neglected by the Federal Government.
He said many government interventions and ongoing projects in the North were not sufficiently known to the public, making it necessary to improve awareness of the administration’s activities in the region.
The A4A leader said the group would make its catalogue of projects and programmes available to relevant stakeholders as part of efforts to promote a better understanding of the Federal Government’s record.
He also invited Yilwatda to the commissioning of the group’s secretariat, scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at 2 p.m.
Shekarau disclosed that Vice-President Kashim Shettima had accepted the invitation to attend the event.
In his remarks, former Plateau State Governor and Deputy Chairman of the A4A Board of Trustees, Simon Lalong, described the initiative as a complementary effort by experienced political leaders to strengthen the APC’s electoral machinery.
Lalong said the group brought together political veterans, former governors, serving ministers, senators and former legislators who were ready to deploy their experience in support of the party’s electoral objectives.
