Get Guardian on Google***Mutfwang pledges unprecedented votes, backs President’s reforms
***Shettima defends tough economic decisions, Akpabio rallies National Assembly support for security drive
***Plateau seeks federal intervention to resettle displaced persons, complete Jos Stadium
From Terhemba Daka
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday took his 2027 re-election campaign to Jos, Plateau State, seeking to consolidate the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s foothold in the North-Central, with Governor Caleb Mutfwang promising unprecedented votes for the President.
The rally, held at the 60,000-capacity Zaria Road Stadium, brought together Vice President Kashim Shettima, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda, governors and other party leaders.
Thousands of supporters had gathered at the venue from early morning, displaying party banners, singing and chanting solidarity songs, while traditional dance groups from the state’s 17 local government areas provided entertainment.
Tinubu’s visit comes against the backdrop of Mutfwang’s defection to the APC in January 2026, a development that has strengthened the ruling party’s prospects in Plateau, where it lost the presidential election in 2023.
Welcoming the President, Mutfwang pledged that Plateau would deliver unprecedented votes for him in 2027, citing the Federal Government’s infrastructure and security interventions as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to the state.
“We are determined that in the 2027 election, the people of Plateau State will deliver unprecedented votes for you.
“And why would we not do that? You have shown us love. You have demonstrated your commitment to our people through your interventions, and we want to reciprocate that gesture,” he said.
The governor commended Tinubu for approving critical road projects and supporting efforts to restore peace, while also praising First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for her humanitarian interventions in the state.
Mutfwang also endorsed the President’s economic reform agenda, describing Nigeria’s pre-reform economic situation as one requiring intensive care.
“Through the policies you have administered like medicine, you have been able to bring Nigeria out of the intensive care unit and into the recovery room,” he said, expressing confidence that sustained reforms would usher in prosperity.
Vice President Shettima, in his remarks, defended the administration’s economic policies, saying Tinubu had taken difficult but necessary decisions to rescue the economy and address its structural weaknesses.
He said the challenges inherited by the administration required decisive leadership and political courage, urging Nigerians to assess the reforms against their long-term objectives of economic stability and sustainable growth.
Akpabio, on his part, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for Tinubu’s efforts to tackle insecurity and restore national prosperity.
He urged Nigerians to rally behind the President, stressing that overcoming the country’s security challenges and rebuilding the economy required collective commitment.
On security in Plateau, Governor Mutfwang commended Federal Government interventions over the past three months but appealed for additional support to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral communities.
He said his administration would present a comprehensive resettlement plan to the President, noting that the exercise would require substantial Federal funding and intervention.
The governor also appealed to Tinubu to support the rehabilitation and completion of the Jos stadium, whose construction began about 40 years ago.
Describing the facility’s prolonged abandonment as an embarrassment to the state, he urged the President to help transform it into an international-standard sporting complex.
Mutfwang further highlighted his administration’s investments in public transportation, employment generation and technology-driven security infrastructure, expressing confidence that the projects scheduled for commissioning during the President’s visit would improve public services and strengthen the state’s development prospects.
He assured Tinubu that Plateau would remain committed to the political partnership, adding that the state’s support would extend to communities with historical and cultural affinities.
