Student leaders from tertiary institutions across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general elections.
The students made their position known during the inauguration of the Students’ Wing of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a political support group for the president, on Tuesday in Kaduna.
The event was attended by presidents of Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) and other student representatives from universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the region.
Abdulmudallib Sheriff, Coordinator of the Students’ Wing and SUG President of Bayero University, Kano, said the students’ support was influenced by what he described as the administration’s interventions in education, youth empowerment, skills development and student financing.
Sheriff particularly cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying it had expanded opportunities for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to access tertiary education.
He said the students would take the campaign for Tinubu’s re-election to campuses and communities across the region.
“We are for Asiwaju. Our support is not passive or ceremonial; it is organised, deliberate and ready for action,” he said.
Also speaking, Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State said the students’ endorsement was an indication of the impact of the Federal Government’s programmes in education, infrastructure, healthcare and agriculture.
Sani said initiatives such as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme and NELFUND had provided opportunities for young people in the northern part of the country.
He said available programme data indicated that northern Nigeria accounted for more than 60 per cent of beneficiaries under some of the interventions.
The governor, however, urged the students to base their political mobilisation on issues and verifiable achievements.
“Do not campaign with insults; campaign with evidence. Do not answer criticism with abuse; answer it with facts,” he said.
Sani said political participation by young people would only be meaningful if accompanied by improved access to education, economic opportunities and digital resources.
Earlier, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, Director-General of A4A, said the group was seeking support for Tinubu based on the administration’s record in office.
Badaru cited NELFUND, projects executed through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Energising Education Programme among initiatives he said had benefited students and tertiary institutions in the North.
He formally inaugurated the Students’ Wing and charged its members to engage students across the region on the administration’s policies and programmes.
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