The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has urged the people of Ebonyi State to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing the appointment of former Governor David Umahi as Minister of Works as one of the reasons they should vote for the President.
Yari made the appeal on Monday during the APC’s Renewed Hope campaign rally in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, where he declared that the party was targeting at least 1.2 million votes for Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
In a video shared on X by @RenewedHope2_0, Yari highlighted Umahi’s appointment, questioning why Ebonyi people should not reciprocate what he described as a significant gesture by the President.
“Let me tell you who Bola Ahmed Tinubu is. He is the one who appointed your brother as the Minister of Works. When we were in the car, both driving to this place, one person said there are A-plus ministries. A-plus ministries, which one of them is the Ministry of Works, and handed over to Ebonyi people?” he said.
Yari subsequently appealed to the people to demonstrate their appreciation by delivering 1.2 million votes for Tinubu, asking supporters who agreed with his target to raise their hands, adding that the President was watching the rally from home.
The former Zamfara State governor said the target was achievable, citing the state’s voter statistics.
According to him, Ebonyi had approximately 1.8 million registered voters, with about 1.5 million Permanent Voter Cards collected.
His remarks came as the APC intensified its mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the party seeking to consolidate its influence in the South-East. Umahi, who governed Ebonyi State between 2015 and 2023, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC in 2020 before his appointment as Minister of Works by Tinubu in August 2023.
Also speaking at the rally, Umahi pledged that Ebonyi would deliver 1.3 million votes for Tinubu, exceeding Yari’s initial target.
He attributed the state’s support to federal infrastructure projects and the President’s attention to the South-East.
