I can take a bullet for Tinubu – Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has declared his readiness to defend President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, insisting that his support for the president is based on conviction despite public discontent 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 during an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme on Tuesday.

Asked whether he was prepared to take a political bullet for the president, Sani said he was confident he would eventually be vindicated for his position.

“I can tell you today, tomorrow, and next tomorrow, that I will be vindicated,” he said.

• Rivers Rainbow Coalition retains Chinda, allocates 33 slots to APC, 15 to PDP
• Bangkok’s debt debate: Can Africa secure fairer development finance?

The governor said his support for Tinubu was informed partly by their long-standing relationship, which dates back to 1994 when they were involved in the struggle for the restoration of democratic rule.

He recalled that Tinubu, who was associated with the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), supported pro-democracy activists during the military era, despite the risks that forced some of them into exile.

Sani said their shared experience in the struggle for democracy and the devolution of power had shaped his assessment of the president.

He also cited projects and appointments he said had benefited Kaduna State under Tinubu, including the approval of four federal university initiatives and the reconstruction of the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road.

The university initiatives he listed were the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Southern Kaduna, Federal University of Education in Zaria, Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Rigachikun and the proposed conversion of Kaduna Polytechnic into a federal university of technology.

He said the projects were benefits to 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.

The governor also cited the appointment of Kaduna indigenes to senior federal positions as evidence of the state’s representation in Tinubu’s administration.

On whether northern voters would support Tinubu for another term despite the economic hardship, Sani argued that opposition parties must present a credible alternative rather than merely asking Nigerians to reject the president.

“When you say don’t vote for Asiwaju, you must bring an alternative,” he said.

He said poverty in northern Nigeria predated Tinubu’s administration but had worsened over time, comparing the region’s challenges to a dilapidated building that had been neglected until it became difficult to repair.

“If we had addressed this problem even before Asiwaju ever thought of becoming president, we wouldn’t be where we are,” he said.

The governor added that he had previously urged northern leaders to examine their records and accept that they had let the people down, but said his calls had not received sufficient attention.

“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,” the governor said.

Sani’s comments come amid growing political positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the performance of the Tinubu administration, economic hardship and insecurity expected to feature prominently in political debates.

On insecurity in Kaduna State, the governor acknowledged continuing concerns, particularly attacks in Millennium City. He said he had discussed the situation with military and security officials and that plans were being made to strengthen the security presence in the area.