BAFARAWA SETS SECURITY CONDITION FOR TINUBU’S 2027 RE-ELECTION SUPPORT
By Our Political Correspondent
Ex-Sokoto Governor Says Campaign Funds Should Be Used to Fight Banditry in Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara
Former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has declared that his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027 will depend on the President’s ability to tackle insecurity in Sokoto State and other banditry-affected parts of Northern Nigeria.
Bafarawa made his position known during an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) Hausa, where he stressed that restoring peace and security should take priority over political campaigns and election spending.
The former governor urged the Federal Government to channel resources that would otherwise be spent on campaigns into decisive efforts to dislodge bandits and restore normalcy in affected communities, particularly in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
He maintained that he was not seeking any personal financial benefit, insisting that the greatest concern of the people was the restoration of peace and the protection of their livelihoods.
“I don't need a penny from anybody. My biggest concern, and that of our people, is for peace to return to all the crisis-hit states and areas occupied by bandits,” Bafarawa said.
He lamented that persistent insecurity had disrupted education and agricultural activities, leaving children unable to access schooling and farmers unable to cultivate their land safely.
According to him, agriculture remains a major occupation in Northern Nigeria, making the restoration of security essential to the region’s economic recovery and social stability.
Bafarawa argued that President Tinubu had the financial resources, military strength and institutional capacity required to end banditry, urging the administration to demonstrate the political will to confront the security crisis before the 2027 general elections.
He pledged to vote for Tinubu if the President succeeded in eradicating banditry before the election, warning that anything short of meaningful results would make it difficult for him to support the President’s re-election bid.
The former governor further criticised politicians who campaign for their preferred parties without making security a central issue, describing such an approach as inconsistent with responsible leadership and genuine patriotism.
He insisted that the safety of citizens, the freedom of movement, access to education and the ability of farmers to return to their fields must take precedence over partisan political interests.
Bafarawa’s position underscores the growing demand for concrete security measures in Northern Nigeria, where banditry has continued to threaten lives, livelihoods, education and agricultural production.
