Shettima Inaugurates Arewa for Asiwaju Campaign Headquarters Ahead of 2027 Election
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the campaign headquarters of Arewa for Asiwaju, a political movement mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The inauguration took place in Abuja on Saturday, October 17, with the group expected to coordinate its political activities across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The PUNCH reported that Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice-President, announced Shettima’s arrival at the venue in a post on X. New Telegraph subsequently reported that the campaign headquarters was officially unveiled at the event.
The movement, known as Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), was formed by northern political leaders and other stakeholders to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition and strengthen the ruling All Progressives Congress’s political base in the region.
Its leadership includes former governors, lawmakers and other political figures, with former Kano State governor Ibrahim Shekarau serving as chairman of its Board of Trustees. Former Jigawa State governor and ex-Minister of Defence Abubakar Badaru is the group’s director-general, according to recent reports.
The campaign office is expected to serve as a coordination centre for the movement’s activities ahead of the next general election.
Speaking at the unveiling, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda expressed confidence that northern Nigeria would deliver more than 70 per cent of its votes to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
According to New Telegraph, Yilwatda urged northern political leaders to mobilise support at the grassroots, citing federal infrastructure projects, political appointments and government interventions as reasons the region should support the President’s re-election.
He also referred to road construction, railway projects, irrigation schemes, healthcare programmes and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline as examples of projects and initiatives he said could benefit the region.
The 70 per cent figure represents the APC chairman’s political prediction, not an independently established forecast of the election outcome.
Earlier in the week, the movement’s leaders met Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where they declared support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Channels Television reported on October 12 that the delegation was led by Shekarau, who said the movement was established to mobilise voters across the North and challenge claims that the Tinubu administration had neglected the region.
Shekarau said the group intended to promote the administration’s policies and achievements while coordinating campaign activities through its various operational structures.
The movement’s establishment comes as political parties and support groups begin preparations for the 2027 general election.
With its new headquarters, A4A intends to strengthen its organisation and coordinate its campaign activities across northern communities. However, the group’s ability to translate its political endorsements and mobilisation plans into votes will ultimately be tested at the polls.
