Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the most qualified political figure from Southern Nigeria to lead the country beyond 2027.

Ganduje made the remark in Abuja while receiving a delegation of youth leaders from Northern Nigeria, drawn from all 19 northern states.

He dismissed suggestions that the North may resist Tinubu’s second-term bid, describing such claims as unfounded and misleading. According to him, there is no southern politician better positioned to govern Nigeria after 2027 than Tinubu.

Ganduje warned political observers against assuming that northern voters would abandon Tinubu in the next presidential election, insisting that such expectations were erroneous.

Speaking further, the former Kano State governor said Tinubu’s political experience and democratic credentials set him apart, noting that Nigeria is fortunate to have a president whose life has been deeply rooted in politics and the struggle for democracy.

He recalled Tinubu’s involvement in the pro-democracy movement during the military era, highlighting the sacrifices he made, including going into exile, to ensure the survival of democracy in Nigeria.

Ganduje also referenced a political understanding reached ahead of the election of former President Muhammadu Buhari, which ensured the return of power to the South after eight years.

According to him, Tinubu has been in office for less than four years, yet has already implemented far-reaching reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s socio-economic development.