Otunba Segun Showunmi, leader of the Alternative Movement, has called on Northern Nigerians to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that the region should reciprocate the political understanding that facilitated his emergence as president in 2023.
Showunmi made the appeal on Tuesday, November 10, during an Alternative Movement town hall meeting in Katsina State, where he said former President Muhammadu Buhari’s support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was based on political trust that should be sustained.
He described the transition from Buhari to Tinubu as an understanding that should guide the country’s political succession, urging the North to honour what he considered an existing commitment by supporting Tinubu for a second term.
“Katsina, to me, is my second home. It is also to come and resurrect the idea that in this place where we call ‘Ma’agin Mutani Amana’, the people that used to keep trust, the trust of 2027 is where Muhammadu Buhari left it,” he said.
Showunmi also highlighted the relationship between Buhari and Tinubu, noting that the current administration demonstrated respect for the late former president through the honours accorded him, including during his burial.
“This is the time to return the favour,” he said, while expressing confidence in Tinubu’s development agenda and calling for another term to enable the president consolidate his reforms.
Representing the Katsina State Government, the Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, Dr. Faisal Umar Kaita, pledged support for the Alternative Movement and disclosed plans to integrate the group into the broader All Progressives Congress (APC) political structure in the state.
Kaita defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, describing them as necessary measures whose benefits were beginning to emerge. He also linked the APC’s anticipated electoral prospects in Katsina to the performance of the federal and state governments.
Earlier, the Katsina State Coordinator of the Alternative Movement, Rimaya Umar Salisu Rimaye, urged residents to support the President’s policies, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as an initiative providing greater access to higher education for students from less privileged backgrounds.
He also defended the administration’s handling of insecurity, arguing that the challenges predated the Tinubu government and that the President required more time to consolidate ongoing reforms.
Rimaye challenged opposition politicians who claim to represent the interests of struggling Nigerians to demonstrate their contributions towards addressing the country’s challenges.
He further called on residents to recognise ongoing development projects while acknowledging that more work remained to be done.
Before the town hall meeting, Showunmi held consultations with the Katsina State Deputy Governor and social media influencers in the state. He also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina.
