Bauchi Residents Chant ‘Ba Ma Yi Atiku, Sai Tinubu’ as President Intensifies 2027 Campaign Mobilisation
Residents in Bauchi State have reportedly expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, chanting “Ba Ma Yi Atiku, Sai Tinubu” (We don’t want Atiku, only Tinubu) during a gathering captured in a video circulating on social media.
The chant, which references former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, comes amid growing political activities and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In the footage, a crowd can be seen gathered at what appears to be a public event, chanting the slogan in support of President Tinubu.
The chant, which references former Vice president Atiku Abubakar, comes amid growing political activities, internal wranglings, disputes in court by the other faction led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, lack of focus of the executives and the call for suspension of Rauf Aregbesola by the youths and other short comings confronting the party ahead of the mobilisation of the 2027 presidential election.
The development comes as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) intensifies its nationwide mobilisation campaign ahead of the next general election.
President Tinubu is seeking re-election for a second term under the APC platform, while Atiku Abubakar remains one of the opposition figures associated with the emerging 2027 presidential contest.
Bauchi State is politically significant in the North-East, particularly as political parties intensify efforts to consolidate their support bases ahead of the election.
The reported chant has added another dimension to the emerging political contest, particularly as the Tinubu administration continues to highlight its economic reforms, infrastructure investments and social intervention programmes as evidence of progress since assuming office in May 2023.
One of the administration’s notable economic milestones is the reported improvement in Nigeria’s GDP growth. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s real Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 3.89 per cent in the first quarter.
The growth was supported by improved performance in the oil and non-oil sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, financial services and information and communications technology.
Similarly, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate declined to 14.63 per cent in September 2026 from 15.39 per cent in August, representing a further easing of inflationary pressure, although the high cost of living remains a major concern for many households but Nigerians are proactive people knowing fully well that the reforms are indeed short term that will eventually turnaround their trajectory for good.
Another significant intervention is the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), established to expand access to tertiary education by providing financial assistance to students who might otherwise struggle to meet their educational expenses.
As of November 9, 2026, NELFUND had disbursed approximately N375.28 billion to students and 320 tertiary institutions, with more than 1.67 million student loan beneficiaries recorded. The initiative represents one of the administration’s major social investment programmes targeting young Nigerians.
On infrastructure, the administration has embarked on major road projects designed to improve transportation, trade and economic integration across the country.
Among the flagship projects are the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Highway and the dualisation of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri road corridor.
The latter is particularly significant to the North-East and North-Central regions, as improved connectivity is expected to facilitate agricultural transportation, commercial activities and the movement of people and goods.
The administration has also pursued reforms in the electricity sector through the Electricity Act 2023, which provides a framework for states to establish and regulate their own electricity markets, potentially encouraging investments and improving power supply.
In the petroleum sector, the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of foreign exchange markets remain among the administration’s defining policy decisions. While the reforms have attracted criticism over their immediate impact on household purchasing power, the government maintains that they are necessary to address longstanding structural weaknesses in the economy.
For the APC, the growing political mobilisation across Northern Nigeria is strategically important, considering the region’s voting strength and influence in presidential elections.
The administration’s infrastructure investments, student loan programme, social intervention initiatives and economic reforms are among the issues likely to feature prominently in its campaign messaging ahead of 2027.
The reported Bauchi chant may therefore be viewed as an indication of the political messaging and support mobilisation taking shape ahead of the election and the people’s endorsement of the policies and programmes of the present administration.
As the political atmosphere gradually intensifies, the APC is expected to rely on its record in government, ongoing development projects and its campaign structures to make the case for another four-year mandate and the recent events have shown that the present administration has mass followership at the grassroots in the North who are desirous to see changes and development percolate to every households.
However, the opposition is also expected to scrutinise the administration’s performance and shortfalls including the overall welfare of Nigerians.
With the 2027 presidential election approaching, the contest is increasingly shaping up around competing arguments over economic management, national development, governance and the future direction of the country. The Chant of ‘Ba Ma Yi Atiku, Sai Tinubu’ as the President Intensifies his 2027 Campaign Mobilisation says a lot of what is to come in the few months ahead and the direction of the North as to who their choice is and what President really has in stock for the region, coupled with the empirical evidence that the region is ahead in infrastructural development across the country.
