***APC takes presidential campaign to Jigawa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday said fuel subsidy should never return under any guise.
According to him a return to subsidy for petrol will prevent investment in critical sector such as education, health infrastructure and security.
He promised interest-free loans for small-scale farmers, adding that the Federal Government also plans to establish mechanised farming service centres to improve agricultural productivity.
He said: “We will subsidise farming. We will reward small-scale farmers. Interest-free loans for farmers are coming. Prosperity is coming. Food security will happen.
“We are going to install mechanised farming service centres in six geographical locations.”
The President explained that universities would be encouraged to play a greater role in agricultural research, particularly in developing solutions to challenges affecting food production and the efficient utilisation of farmland.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria possessed sufficient arable land, manpower and agricultural potential to achieve food self-sufficiency if the necessary investments and support systems were provided.
President Tinubu gave the assurance in Dutse, capital of Jigawa State, where he addressed supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a rally, shortly after commissioning some projects executed by the state government.
President Tinubu said; “We have the arable land, we have the labour, we have the commitment, we have the people. We can feed ourselves, and we will bring food prices down.
“I promise you greater investment in agriculture, mechanisation, irrigation and the productive use of our arable land.”
Jigawa is an agrarian state which is also known for cultivation of cotton.
The projects include the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Multipurpose Skills Acquisition Centre and a three-kilometre stretch of the 15-kilometre Police-to-Palace Road network in Dutse.
At the rally, President Tinubu launched the APC manifestos, urging Nigerians to re-elect him.
The president who highlighted the benefits of his economic reforms, ruled out the return of fuel subsidy, saying his administration will continue to channel resources saved from the policy towards education, agriculture, security and other critical sectors of the economy.
Tinubu, who thanked the people of Jigawa for their support and commitment, urged Nigerians to work together with security agencies by providing timely information that could assist them to tackle the challenges.
He said his administration has started strengthening the police and the Armed Forces through improved welfare, salaries and other necessary support.
President Tinubu said: “We will conquer insecurity. We have been through many wars, and we will defeat the enemies of our unity and stability.”
The President appealed to residents to see their neighbours as partners in the fight against insecurity and promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.
Tinubu dismissed calls for the restoration of fuel subsidy, describing the proposals as unrealistic and warning that returning to the policy would undermine the country’s ability to invest in critical sectors and future generations.
He said: “Those who say subsidy is coming back are liars. Don’t allow them to deceive you. It is not going to come back. We cannot spend the future of our children today and leave them with debts tomorrow.”
The president said the Federal Government would continue to invest in education, agriculture, healthcare, electricity, industrial development and job creation as part of its efforts to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
President Tinubu described education as a major instrument for reducing poverty, adding that funds recovered from financial irregularities by anti-corruption agencies are being channelled to the sector and other development priorities.
President Tinubu described the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a critical intervention designed to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring that financial hardship does not deprive young Nigerians of higher education.
He said: “NELFUND is a weapon against poverty. We will continue in that direction.”
The President also spoke of directing proceeds from funds and assets recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) towards supporting education through the student loan scheme.
He maintained that investment in human capital was essential to the country’s future and must take precedence over expenditure that did not create enduring economic value.
Unveiling his broad plans, the president said healthcare, improved electricity supply, security, industrialisation, support for small and medium-scale enterprises and employment generation would receive attention.
He said the Federal Government would work towards reducing the cost of living and expanding economic opportunities across the country.
The President commended Governor Umar Namadi for the development projects, particularly the establishment of skills acquisition facilities aimed at preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship.
The president was accompanied by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, Governors Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe).
Three former Jigawa State Governors Ibrahim Saminu Turaki, Ali Sa’adu and Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar were also with the President.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima said Preseident Tinubu’s visit was an opportunity for the Federal Government to appreciate the people of Jigawa for their political support over the years.
Shettima recalled the support given to the APC and former President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 general elections, describing Jigawa as an important constituency for the party.
He listed several federal projects in the state, including the Kwara Danja-Sani-Hadejia road, which he said was 75 per cent complete, and the Kunya-Babura-Babban Mutum road, which is 80 per cent complete.
Shettima also listed the Kano-Maiduguri road, the Kano-Maradi railway project, housing development in Dutse and the Greater Dutse power generation project.
He said about N50 billion has been provided for the Greater Dutse power project.
The Vice-President recalled President Tinubu’s relationship with the North, recalling his support for northern presidential aspirants, including former President Buhari, in previous elections.
He urged the people of the region to reciprocate the support and cooperation the president had extended to northern political leaders.
Shettima criticised former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi over his comments about President Buhari, urging Nigerians to consider the history of political relationships and mutual support.
North will vote for President, says Yari
The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, urged the people of Jigawa and the North to recognise President Tinubu’s contributions to democratic politics and political development in the region.
He recalled the president’s support for many northern political leaders and candidates over the years, adding that his political influence had contributed to the emergence of leaders across the country.
He expressed confidence in the President’s leadership and prayed for the success of his administration and political journey.
Yari dismissed claims by rival parties that the administration would face rejection in the North.
He said: “Your Excellency, Mr. President, these are your people, men and women and youths. This is Northwest, where our opponents are campaigning that you are not going to be welcomed in Northern Nigeria,” Yari stated.
“To my surprise, the foundation you laid for democracy in Nigeria, especially in the North, among those our opponents, none of them has 0.1 percent. You show you are a real democrat, you have suffered for this democracy to be sustained, you have interfaced with the enemies of democracy and you win them. Today, they are enjoying your sweat.”
He challenged the political pedigree and track records of the President’s critics, drawing a sharp contrast between their sparse grassroots achievements and President Tinubu’s legacy of uplifting political actors from local levels to national prominence.
He said: “These, your opponents, they don’t have anything to offer more than what you are doing for Nigeria, more than what you have done, when you had become a governor and what you have done for this part of this country.
We need more federal projects, says governor
The Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, who spoke on behalf Progressive Governors Forum led by Governor Hope Uzodimma, said the North remained politically connected to Tinubu.
He directed the attention of those questioning the President’s popularity in the region to the large turnout of supporters who trooped out to receive him.
The Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Bello Masari, highlighted President Tinubu’s relationship with northern leaders, recalling his support for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate Nuhu Ribadu and the late President Buhari at different stages of their political careers.
Masari urged northern political stakeholders to reciprocate the support, describing it as part of the relationship between Tinubu and the region.
Governor Namadi said the relationship between Jigawa State and the Tinubu administration went beyond partisan politics, stressing that it was also reflected in developmental projects and federal interventions across the state.
He commended the President for personally commissioning the Renewed Hope Technical Services Fabrication Centre, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Multipurpose Skill Acquisition Centre, the dualised Garu Road and the state’s agricultural mechanisation programme.
The governor said the mechanisation programme comprised 400 tractors, 60 combine harvesters, 150 boom sprayers and 150 seeders, among other agricultural equipment.
Namadi said the projects aligned with his administration’s ‘12-Point Agenda for a Greater Jigawa and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda,’ particularly in improving productivity, creating employment and strengthening economic opportunities.
He also highlighted federal interventions in the state, including the Greater Dutse Water Supply Project, the Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway project, federal road construction, emergency ecological support and the establishment of new federal tertiary institutions.
Namadi said about 192,000 residents of Jigawa have received more than N14.36 billion in federal cash transfers since 2024.
The governor, however, appealed to Tinubu to provide additional federal assistance to tackle soil erosion threatening several communities, particularly Hadejia, Dutse, Birnin Kudu and Gwaram.
He also requested the restoration of services on the historic Kano-Nguru railway line to boost commercial activities across Kano, Jigawa and Yobe states.
Namadi also appealed for a review of import tariff policies on wheat and rice to protect local farmers and encourage domestic food production.
He reaffirmed the state’s support for the APC and Tinubu, assuring the President of continued political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
