DLA Governorship candidates back Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid

By Emmanuella Opara | October 16th 2026

KEY POINTS

• The Forum of Governorship Candidates of the Democratic Leadership Alliance has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027.
• The forum said it would work with Arewa for Asiwaju to mobilise support for Tinubu despite the party maintaining its own candidates for other elective offices.
• DLA said it had 15 governorship candidates, alongside senatorial and House of Assembly candidates, for the 2027 elections.
• The forum cited the administration’s education loan scheme and infrastructure projects as reasons for supporting a second term.

MAIN STORY

The Forum of Governorship Candidates of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027, saying his re-election is critical to Nigeria’s economic and infrastructure development.

The forum’s chairman and DLA governorship candidate in Taraba, Aboki Bayonga, announced the decision at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

Bayonga said the party would collaborate with Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a political pressure group, to mobilise support for Tinubu because DLA would not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 election.

He explained that the decision to support Tinubu did not mean the party had abandoned its own electoral ambitions, as it would still contest senatorial, House of Assembly and governorship seats.

The party has 15 governorship candidates across the country, according to Bayonga, who said members had agreed to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the presidential election.

“We are declaring our support for President Tinubu as our Presidential Leadership Alliance candidate in 2027 on the platform of Arewa for Asiwaju,” he said.

“It is not that we have dropped our aspirations as a party but as for the presidential election we are for Tinubu,” Bayonga added.

He said the forum would work to secure Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the president had performed well enough to deserve another term.

Bayonga pointed to what he described as achievements across different sectors, saying the administration could deliver more if given another four years.

He specifically cited the education loan scheme introduced by the Tinubu administration, saying it had made access to higher education less financially stressful for students’ parents.

The DLA chairman also referenced infrastructure development, including completed and ongoing road and railway projects in different parts of the country.

Bayonga said members of the forum would work with A4A to deploy their political structures and grassroots networks to mobilise votes, particularly across the 19 northern states, as well as other parts of Nigeria.

THE ISSUES

The endorsement shows how a political party without a presidential candidate can seek to influence the presidential contest while maintaining its candidates for other elective positions.

For DLA, supporting Tinubu allows the party to back a presidential candidate while continuing to pursue governorship and legislative seats in 2027.

The forum’s position is based on its assessment of the administration’s education and infrastructure programmes. However, the endorsement represents the political position of the candidates and does not establish the level of support Tinubu will receive from voters in the states targeted for mobilisation.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

“We are declaring our support for President Tinubu as our Presidential Leadership Alliance candidate in 2027 on the platform of Arewa for Asiwaju,” Aboki Bayonga, chairman of the Forum of Governorship Candidates of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, said.

“It is not that we have dropped our aspirations as a party but as for the presidential election we are for Tinubu,” Aboki Bayonga said.

“We will work and do everything possible to ensure that Tinubu is re-elected in 2027 because he has done well to deserve a second term,” Aboki Bayonga said.

WHAT’S NEXT

The forum plans to work with Arewa for Asiwaju to mobilise voters for Tinubu, particularly in the 19 northern states and other parts of the country.

DLA is also expected to pursue its own electoral ambitions through its governorship and legislative candidates in the 2027 general elections.

BOTTOM LINE

The Democratic Leadership Alliance’s governorship candidates have backed Tinubu’s re-election bid while retaining their party’s candidates for other offices, making collaboration with Arewa for Asiwaju central to their planned presidential campaign.