By Oscar Okhifo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) recorded a major political boost on Saturday as more than 136,000 people, including prominent opposition figures, formally joined the ruling party at a massive rally in Kano.
The defections coincided with the inauguration of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG) 2.0 national structure by its founder and convener, Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, who charged the newly appointed executives to commence grassroots mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.
The event, held at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofar Mata, attracted thousands of supporters, party leaders, political stakeholders and dignitaries from across the country.
Faleke urged members of the support group to take the achievements of the Tinubu administration to communities across Nigeria, stressing that sustained grassroots engagement would be critical to securing another mandate for the President.
He described President Tinubu as a “marketable product”, citing what he described as the administration’s achievements under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The TSG convener also charged members to defend the Federal Government’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy, particularly in response to calls by opposition figures for its restoration.
He said the removal was necessary to reset the Nigerian economy and urged TSG members to explain the policy, its rationale and its implications to Nigerians during their grassroots engagements.
Faleke recalled that the group began mobilising support for Tinubu’s presidential ambition as far back as 2020, when his emergence as President was still uncertain.
He therefore urged the newly inaugurated executives not to rely on the enthusiasm generated by the Kano rally but to sustain their mobilisation efforts at the grassroots.
The Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group, Dr Umar Tanko-Yakasai, said President Tinubu had saved Nigeria from what he described as an imminent economic collapse.
Tanko-Yakasai said the President inherited a “shattered and battered economy” but had taken steps to turn it around and stabilise it.
“Our foreign reserves have hit over $53 billion from net $3.89 billion, inflation down to 15.43 per cent from over 34 per cent,” he said.
He added that Nigeria’s gross domestic product grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, with nominal GDP standing at N119.27 trillion.
According to him, the Tinubu administration had cleared more than $78 billion in loans, in addition to a $3.5 billion COVID-19 loan, while allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to states had tripled, enabling state governments to pay salaries without relying on bailouts.
Tanko-Yakasai also cited the establishment of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the granting of financial autonomy to local governments and the creation of additional regional development commissions as some of the administration’s achievements.
He further said the Federal Government had appointed more than 50 Kano indigenes to various positions, while highlighting the completion of the Kano-Kaduna Expressway and ongoing projects including the Gwarzo-Dayi Road, Katsina Road and Daura Road.
“Mr President has done a lot for Kano and is still doing more,” he said.
He described the turnout at the rally as impressive and a demonstration of strong support for President Tinubu, while urging the newly inaugurated state executives to hit the ground running and deliver victory for the President in 2027.
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, welcomed the more than 136,000 new members who joined the APC at the rally and urged them to remain committed to the development, peace and progress of Kano State and Nigeria.
The governor said the APC remained a broad platform where members could contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and the country.
“The APC remains a broad platform for all members to contribute meaningfully to the development of Kano State and Nigeria,” Yusuf said.
“I urge you to join hands with other stakeholders to strengthen unity, peace and stability within the party,” he added.
Yusuf assured the new members that his administration would continue to work with all stakeholders to promote unity, stability and sustainable development across Kano State.
He also called on APC members and supporters to remain united, peaceful and focused as the party prepares for the 2027 elections.
The governor said the massive turnout was evidence of the growing acceptability of President Tinubu’s candidacy in Kano and argued that the administration deserved another term to consolidate its programmes and policies.
He urged Kano residents to support Tinubu as well as APC candidates contesting elections at the federal, state and local government levels.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Senator Rufa’i Sani Hanga, who represents Kano Central Senatorial District, expressed commitment to the APC and pledged to mobilise support for President Tinubu and Governor Yusuf ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Among the prominent politicians received into the APC were former senators Rufa’i Sani Hanga, Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya and Mas’ud El-Jibrin Doguwa.
Others included former PDP deputy governorship candidate Baraka Sani; former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Yusuf Bello Danbatta; former Chairman of Ungogo Local Government Area, Isyaku Ali Danja; Chairman of the NNPP (Fruit Faction), Ali Datti Yako; NDC Deputy State Chairman, Badaru Umar; former NNPP senatorial candidate, Abdulmajid Dauda Dandawaki; and former Special Adviser to the President, Abdullahi Zubairu Abiya, among other political figures.
The defectors were accompanied by thousands of supporters dressed in APC colours, carrying flags, banners and placards expressing support for the party and its candidates.
The crowd spilled onto major roads leading to the Sani Abacha Stadium, including Kanti Kwari, Kofar Mata, Kurmi markets and IBB Way, resulting in heavy traffic and disrupting commercial activities in the area.
Some traders at the Kanti Kwari textile market reportedly shut their shops as a result of the unusually large gathering.
Former Kano State Governor and former APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described the Renewed Hope Agenda as a policy framework developed by the APC-led government to address the country’s challenges, including poverty, insecurity and slow economic growth.
Ganduje said the agenda was carefully designed to guide Nigeria towards its development aspirations and described President Tinubu as a progressive leader.
The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, while welcoming the defectors, urged them to join hands with existing APC members and work tirelessly to secure victory for President Tinubu in 2027.
Yilwatda expressed satisfaction with the massive turnout, describing it as unprecedented.
“We are very happy with this unprecedented crowd. With this, we are very sure the coast is clear for President Tinubu to secure his second-term bid,” he said.
The Kano State APC Chairman, Umar Doguwa, also declared that Kano was for the APC, while the TSG North-West Coordinator, Dr Baffa Babba-Dan’agundi, commended those who had supported the organisation and contributed to its growth in the region.
He further lauded Faleke for his mentorship, describing his guidance and support as instrumental to his political growth and ability to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“I want to sincerely thank Hon. James Abiodun Faleke for recommending me for this appointment. The appointment has further strengthened my political base in Kano and enhanced my capacity to mobilise support for Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ahead of the 2027 elections.”
The event also featured the formal unveiling of the Tinubu Support Campaign Council and was attended by APC governors, senators, national and state party leaders, political stakeholders and thousands of supporters from across Nigeria.
The gathering ended with the commissioning of the TSG Kano State Head Office and the unveiling of operational vehicles to support the organisation’s activities and grassroots mobilisation across the state.
As the 2027 campaign season gradually gathers momentum, stakeholders have continued to appeal to political parties, candidates and their supporters to keep the contest clean, issue-based and engaging, while prioritising peaceful campaigns ahead of the general elections.