The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has launched a strong defence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, declaring that none of the politicians challenging him in 2027 comes close to matching his qualities.
Yari made the remarks while addressing members of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Gusau, Zamfara State, where he was canvassing support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
The former Zamfara State governor said the opposition candidates had every right to contest the election but insisted that Tinubu remained significantly ahead of them in terms of merit and quality.
Yari went as far as claiming that the opposition aspirants did not possess even 10 per cent of what Tinubu had to offer.
Yari: Tinubu Is in a Different Class
The APC campaign chief argued that placing Tinubu and his opponents on the same scale would not produce a comparable result.
His assessment was presented as a political argument in favour of the incumbent rather than an independent ranking of the presidential candidates.
Yari said the APC would nevertheless not take the election for granted and would work to secure victory through sustained mobilisation and engagement with Nigerians.
He also urged supporters to pray for the success of Tinubu and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal in their respective elections.
Yari’s Role in Tinubu’s Campaign
Yari was appointed Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in August as the ruling party began structuring its machinery for the 2027 presidential election.
His appointment places him at the centre of the APC’s campaign strategy as the party prepares to defend the presidency.
The campaign is expected to focus heavily on Tinubu’s economic reforms, infrastructure projects, social programmes and other policies the APC says represent achievements of the administration.
The opposition, meanwhile, has continued to criticise the government over inflation, insecurity, unemployment, living costs and the consequences of some of its economic reforms.
A Fierce 2027 Contest
Tinubu is expected to face significant competition from opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Peter Obi of the NDC.
The 2027 election is therefore shaping up as a contest in which both sides are likely to rely heavily on competing narratives about competence, economic management and national development.
Yari’s latest comments reflect the APC’s emerging strategy of presenting Tinubu’s experience and record as superior to those of his challengers.
With political mobilisation accelerating, similar comparisons are expected to become more frequent as parties prepare for the campaign season.