By Atlantic Reports

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters to reject political violence and campaign on policies and performance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday at a rally organised by the APC North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Idris said political engagement should persuade voters without fighting or intimidation.

“The message we have is that everybody should be calm, campaign based on issues, no violence, no fighting,” he said.

Idris said campaigns should give parties opportunities to explain their programmes, present their records and engage Nigerians constructively.

“If you have something to sell, you don’t need to fight,” he said.

The minister described the rally as part of efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. He expressed confidence in the administration’s performance and said it intended to deliver further benefits to Nigerians.

However, his remarks did not identify specific pledges or performance measures to support his claim that the president had fulfilled his promises.

North-Central Vote Projection

Idris predicted that Tinubu would secure 85 per cent of votes in the North-Central geopolitical zone, attributing his confidence to support from governors, ministers and other political leaders in the region.

“All of us are here, President Bola Tinubu is going to get 85 per cent of the vote of the North Central,” he said.

The figure was a political projection. Idris did not cite polling data or an electoral analysis to support it.

He said regional leaders had collectively agreed to support the president, describing the decision as voluntary and expressing satisfaction with the unity shown at the rally.

Grassroots Mobilisation and Food Security

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Dr Aliyu Sabi, said the gathering formed part of continuing grassroots mobilisation for the APC ahead of the elections.

“Mobilisation is actually what brought us here. Our people are fully mobilised and will continue to do the mobilisation until the D-day when our votes will speak,” he said.

Sabi urged supporters to maintain peaceful political engagement while strengthening the party’s support base.

On food security, he said the Tinubu administration had prioritised the issue despite economic difficulties. He credited government interventions with improving stability in the food system, while acknowledging that further work was needed to improve availability and address remaining challenges.

He also said road improvements were expected to ease the movement of agricultural produce and reduce transportation costs.

“And our roads are being transformed so that food can be moved at very reduced prices for citizens,” he said.

His remarks did not include figures on changes in food prices, transport costs or food availability to demonstrate the extent of those benefits.

The rally combined calls for peaceful campaigning with expressions of confidence in the APC’s electoral prospects. The administration’s performance claims and regional vote projection remain matters for public scrutiny as campaigning develops.

Atlantic Reports: Voices. People. Facts.