"He Has Strategy, Not Just Popularity": Presidential Support DG Umar Jijiwa Downplays Regional Backlash Ahead of 2027
Appearing on Arise News Daybreak, Comrade Umar Jijiwa, the Director General of the Presidential Support Organization, mounted a firm defense of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administrative scorecard.
Responding to tough questions about rampant inflation, deep-seated economic hardships, and persistent insecurity across the country, Jijiwa stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) maintains a superior structural roadmap to secure a second term in the 2027 general elections. He argued that winning a presidential race in a diverse country like Nigeria depends heavily on meeting strict constitutional thresholds across multiple geopolitical zones, rather than relying strictly on concentrated regional popularity or emotional voting blocks.
Rebunking the Villa’s Blind Spot: "There Is Hunger in the Land"
A major highlight of the interview occurred when Jijiwa directly split from the stance of presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, who recently claimed he could not see hunger in the country.
Jijiwa affirmed the severe macroeconomic pressures citizens are facing following the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the forex market. He emphasized that the primary duty of independent support groups is to act as a raw, unvarnished bridge between the grassroots and an insulated executive mansion.
"Everybody only knows what he knows," Jijiwa noted regarding Onanuga's perspective. "Perhaps Bayo Onanuga might have said that because he might be in the office in the Villa.
But the President, in every single speech he has ever made, has one thing in common: he always says, 'Please bear with us. We know that you are struggling, we know that you are hungry.' That's why we are a support organization—because we are the ones who see it, bring it up, and get it to them so they don't lose contact."
The 2027 Math: Why Constitutional Thresholds Trumps Regional Dominance
Addressing
the complex political permutations of zoning and religious
balancing—especially regarding whether the President should maintain a
Muslim-Muslim ticket or adjust his approach—Jijiwa urged Nigerians to
move past divisive metrics.
He recalled how past northern
candidates amassed immense popular votes in specific enclaves but failed
to secure the presidency because they could not meet the wider
geographic spread required by law.
"Let's not forget that for you to win Nigeria, you need 25% across the board," Jijiwa stated, analyzing structural strategy. "You can have more than me in numbers of votes, but if you are unable to reach that constitutional threshold, you have wasted your time. That is strategy. So you are not looking for everybody to love you—no, you only need enough to win. When you look at political strategy critically, you will see that he has enough to win."
Jijiwa also threw his full support behind the creation of state and neighborhood policing structures, adding that traditional institutions must be granted formal constitutional roles to properly leverage their local knowledge against internal security threats.
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