Political realignments intensify as key presidential aides engage in strategic consultations across Benue, Plateau and Nassarawa states.
Political realignments intensify as key presidential aides engage in strategic consultations across Benue, Plateau and Nassarawa states.
Key aides to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have begun a series of quiet but intensifying consultations with governors and political stakeholders across Nigeria's Middle Belt, in what political analysts say is an early bid to consolidate support ahead of the 2027 presidential primaries.
Sources within the APC's campaign structure, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that at least three governors from the North-Central geopolitical zone have received high-level delegations from the presidency in the past two weeks.
The outreach comes against the backdrop of growing restiveness within the APC over the administration's handling of security challenges in Benue and Plateau states, where farmer-herder clashes have continued to claim lives and displace communities.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, who has been vocal in his criticism of federal security responses, is said to be among those approached. His camp neither confirmed nor denied the meetings.
The Middle Belt's electoral significance cannot be overstated. The region contributed critical swing votes in both the 2015 and 2023 presidential elections, and its fragmented political landscape makes it a key battleground for any candidate seeking a broad national mandate.
Political analyst Dr. Bulama Bukarti told Naija Election Watch: "Presidential camps always begin coalition-building earlier than the public realises. What we're seeing now is the foundation being laid for a very competitive 2027 race."