According to the Arewa Progressive Forum for Good Governance (APFGG), Northerners would not be dissuaded by Bashir el-Rufai and his allies from choosing President Bola Tinubu again in the 2027 elections. Bashir el-Rufai, the son of a previous governor of Kaduna State, reportedly predicted on social media recently that Tinubu may be voted out of office in 2027 owing to "non-performance." This was reported by Daily Post on Friday. According to a statement, APFGG Chairman Malam Ibrahim Musa Bichi called Bashir el-Rufai "disrespectful and mannerless," adding that his words seemed to reflect his father's views. He said, "The boy is simply speaking the voice of his father."He stated that such criticism should not be used as justification for undermining Tinubu's attempts to advance Nigeria and his longtime political system.
He went on, "Those who are aware of politics are aware that Tinubu has developed a political infrastructure over time that is assisting him in steering Nigeria in the right path. "And we don’t see reasons to fight an administration that is determined to make the country a better place," Bichi said. The group stated that while they are aware of the efforts being made by the President to address the issues of insecurity and economic challenges left behind by previous governments, they want Bashir and his supporters to know that the true voters in the North will support Tinubu in 2027.
The organisation also questioned El-popularity Rufai's as the governor of Kaduna State and why he chose to run for president in 2023 rather than run for office under Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State.
They added, "If your father has the capacity and popularity, why hide under former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and not personally contest the highly coveted seat of President in 2023?" In an effort to see who the North would back in the 2027 elections, the organisation also challenged el-Rufai to run against Tinubu.