Otunba Segun Showunmi, leader of the Alternative Movement, has urged Northern Nigerians to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, saying it is time to reciprocate the political understanding that facilitated his emergence after former President Muhammadu Buhari completed eight years in office.
Showunmi made the call on Tuesday, November 10, at an Alternative Movement town hall meeting in Katsina State, where he argued that Buhari’s support for Tinubu in 2023 was built on political trust and an understanding that should be sustained.
He described the transition from Buhari to Tinubu as part of a political arrangement that had shaped the country’s leadership transitions, insisting that the North should honour the trust 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 pointed to the relationship between Buhari and Tinubu, saying the current administration demonstrated respect for the late president through the honours accorded him, including during his burial.
“This is the time to return the favour,” he said.
He expressed confidence in Tinubu’s development agenda, arguing that the president should be given another opportunity to consolidate his reforms.
Representing the Katsina State Government, the Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, Dr. Faisal Umar Kaita, pledged the state’s support for the Alternative Movement and said efforts would be made to integrate it into the broader APC political structure in Katsina.
Kaita defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, describing them as necessary interventions whose results were beginning to emerge. He also attributed the APC’s anticipated electoral strength in the state 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 Tinubu’s policies, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as an initiative expanding access to higher education for students from less privileged backgrounds.
He also defended the administration’s response to insecurity, noting that the challenges predated the current government, while arguing that Tinubu needed more time to consolidate his reforms.
Rimaye challenged opposition politicians who claim to represent the suffering masses to demonstrate their practical contributions to addressing the country’s challenges.
He further urged residents to acknowledge ongoing development projects while recognising 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, and paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina.
