Thousands of northern stakeholders, under the aegis of Northern Progressives Coalition, NPC, converged in Abuja on Thursday to endorse President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for re-election in 2027.
The NPC represents a broad spectrum of democratic forces across the 19 northern states.
In a statement released in Abuja, NPC Convener Usman Abdullahi said the stakeholders decided to endorse the Tinubu-Shettima administration because it is the “most dependable leadership” in Nigeria’s 65 years of independence.
Abdullahi said the administration has sparked a socio-political renaissance that has significantly uplifted Northern Nigeria through targeted reforms and inclusive policies.
The stakeholders include representatives of traditional institutions, political leaders, civil society organizations, as well as women and youth coalitions.
According to Abdullahi, the Tibubu-Shettima administration is effectively addressing decades-long challenges, including systemic underdevelopment, political marginalization, economic disenfranchisement and infrastructure neglect.
He said, “For too long, the North has been depicted in sterile data that fails to capture the harsh realities from Bauchi to Zamfara, Taraba to Sokoto.
“Yet, in less than two years, Tinubu and Shettima have brought a ray of hope, delivering visionary policies that prioritise the North as a crucial pillar in Nigeria’s national architecture.”
Further highlighting key achievements of the administration, NPC emphasized unprecedented Northern representation in federal appointments.
“For the first time, Northern technocrats occupy strategic portfolios in security, commerce, oil regulation, and education reform, not as tokens but as co-architects of Nigeria’s renaissance,” Abdullahi stated.
He went ahead to list initiatives including the commissioning of an advanced oncology center in Katsina under a national cancer care expansion policy. According to him, the center has reduced the need for cancer patients from the North to travel to Lagos or Abuja for treatment.
“The National Student Loan Scheme, financing over 396,000 students, has seen Northern students account for 55% of beneficiaries, receiving over N45 billion of the N77 billion disbursed by the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“Education reforms have been a cornerstone, with over 120 learning centers established across Northern senatorial districts, equipped with solar power and safe water systems. The partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has revitalized 101 Almajiri and Tsangaya education centers in states like Bauchi, Niger, Kaduna, and Kano.
“The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE) has drafted a national policy, while the proposed Almajiri Health Scheme aims to provide health insurance to enrolled children, aligning education with wellness,” Abdullahi added.
He equally highlighted infrastructure development, noting that projects like the N740.79 billion Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the 1,068km Sokoto-Badagry Highway, and the N305 billion Abuja-Lokoja-Benin Road dualization had showcased the administration’s commitment.
Abdullahi further stressed that the dredging of the River Niger around Lokoja and the BUA Group-funded Bode Saadu-Kaima-Kosubosu Road has boosted mobility and commerce in the North.
“These are not mere promises but projects with budgetary backing and visible progress,” he said
The Northern groups added that the removal of the fuel subsidy has exposed corrupt cabals, unlocking funds for local production and decentralised growth. The coalition in the same vein hailed the administration’s tax reforms, including incentives for agro-processors and VAT exemptions for small-scale traders, which has empowered the North’s agricultural base.
Abdullahi added that empowerment programs under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs have reached grassroots communities in Sokoto, Niger, Kebbi, Taraba and Yobe, supporting victims of insecurity and fostering economic dignity.
Calling for continuity, the coalition warned that 2027 election must not be a “year of political experimentation”.
Abdullahi emphasized the need for stability to sustain economic reforms like subsidy removal, naira floatation, and tax restructuring, which require multi-year cycles to yield full benefits.
“No other president-vice president pairing has understood the North’s developmental needs like Tinubu and Shettima,” he said, praising Shettima’s strategic insight as a former governor and banker.
The NPC dismissed opposition candidates as lacking vision, accusing them of exploiting the North during elections with “deceitful promises”.
However, the coalition also proposed recommendations to further progress.
Specifically, the groups called for the expansion of agro-processing zones, institutionalization of a Northern Educational Renaissance Scheme under NELFUND, rehabilitation of grazing reserves, establishment of youth tech hubs and creation of a Northern Women Enterprise Support Fund.
They also urged tighter oversight of Northern appointees to ensure service-oriented leadership.
“The North has suffered enough from political manipulation and economic sabotage. We are no longer at the margins but at the epicenter of governance,” Abdullahi stressed while calling on governors, lawmakers, traditional rulers and youths to spread the “Renewed Hope for the Northern Renaissance” agenda.
He also urged them to advocate for a renewed Tinubu-Shettima mandate in 2027 to secure Nigeria’s and the North’s future prosperity.
