Can APC Survive Growing Northern Discontent Ahead Of 2027?

The Hausa expression “Ba ma yi,” generally understood as “we don’t want it” or “we reject it,” has featured in separate protests and political gatherings in northern Nigeria in 2026, turning into notably distinguished within the build-up to the 2027 basic elections.

One of the sooner reported occurrences was in Diko, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, the place residents, together with youths, girls, elders and masquerades, staged a protest on June 23, 2026, in opposition to the allocation of about 500 hectares of farmland to Abuja Steel Mills Limited for a proposed photo voltaic farm and industrial park.

The demonstrators chanted “Ba ma yi, Ba ma so” as they marched by way of the group, alleging that the land had been allotted with out enough session or their consent.

However, the mantra has taken on a extra explicitly-political dimension in Kaduna State in October, when youths chanted “Ba ma yi” throughout a go to by Senator Abdulaziz Yari, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The crowd gathered round a car throughout Yari’s go to to the Rigachikun space of Kaduna. The incident attracted consideration amid his efforts to mobilise northern political and spiritual leaders behind Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

Yari had beforehand urged Northerners to help the President, arguing for the continuation of the eight-year presidential tenure earlier than energy returned to the North in 2031.

The slogan was used once more forward of Tinubu’s marketing campaign flag-off in Kaduna on October 24. On October 23, Bital movies on-line broadly confirmed some youths chanting “Ba ma yi” as APC-branded autos carrying photos of the President and Vice-President Kashim Shettima handed by.

At the marketing campaign rally at Ranchers Bees Stadium on October 24, a piece of the gang responded with the mantra as Tinubu addressed the gathering.

Daily Trust, as cited in subsequent reviews, heard some attendees attribute their dissatisfaction to insecurity and the federal government’s financial insurance policies.

However, the rally additionally attracted 1000’s of APC supporters based on footage and photographs from the scene.

The “Ba Ma Yi” rejection chant additionally echoed in Katsina State on Wednesday the place residents of Malumfashi had been seen chanting throughout Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s go to.

The incident occurred as Radda was en path to Funtua for the flag-off of the Tinubu–Dikko 2027 marketing campaign within the Funtua Senatorial Zone.

LEADERSHIP remembers that violence disrupted actions forward of the marketing campaign flag-off, leaving a number of All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters injured and their autos broken.
Despite the reported assaults, Radda proceeded with the deliberate marketing campaign flag-off. Party sources informed Reporters that the violence stemmed from inner variations inside the APC and expressed confidence that the matter could be resolved.

Social Media Reactions
The “Ba Ma Yi” chants in northern Nigeria have additionally generated reactions on social media.
Reacting to the event, a person recognized as Sarkin Ijebu referred to as on Nigerians to defend their votes through the subsequent election, arguing that mass participation may decide the result.
“Again if we come out en masse and defend our vote he will have no path to victory. Nigerians let’s do this for our children yet unborn,” he wrote.

Another person, Aliyu Usman, expressed doubt in regards to the stage of help President Bola Tinubu may appeal to in Kaduna, writing, “Tinubu no go see 100k for Kaduna.”

North South Bridge additionally criticised the President’s response to complaints about starvation, referencing the removing of the petrol subsidy.

“Wai Tinubu dey blame opposition for hunger. You removed subsidy with your own hands sir. Ba ma yi,” the person wrote.

Similarly, Nasir Abdulaziz described the administration as a failure, declaring, “The end of a failed government.”

Another commenter, Abdulhamid Wada, argued that on-line reactions alone wouldn’t decide the result of the election, writing, “It’s about social media! It’s about election Day, where commitment works.”

Sani Saminu additionally expressed his opposition to the administration, writing, “Sai sun tafi In Sha Allah,” a Hausa expression that means, on this context, that they need to depart, God keen.

For Murtala Shamba, the price of petrol supplied a extra private illustration of his dissatisfaction. He cited a petroleum value of ₦1,405 per litre at an NNPC station and stated ₦20,000 purchased him about 14 litres.

Explaining the affect on his journey plans, he wrote, “Just because I want to go to Idoma descendants function in Wuye in Amac FCT from Gwagwalada that is not up to 120 km to and fro. This same amount could take me from Abuja to Agege in Lagos during Buhari’s reign.”

I’mHe concluded that the expertise had influenced his voting choice, including, “That is enough campaign jingles for me to know who I should not vote.”

Offering his perspective on the rising chants, Kachalla Suraj, a civil servant primarily based in Kaduna whereas in an interview with LEADERSHIP newspaper, stated Northerners had been usually outspoken in expressing help for or opposition to political leaders, arguing that the chants mirrored dissatisfaction with the federal government’s financial insurance policies.

According to him, the chanting of “Ba ma yi” at political gatherings stemmed from the idea amongst some residents that authorities insurance policies had been accountable for their present financial difficulties.

“The chanting of the masses in places of political gathering of ‘Ba ma yi’ stems from their beliefs that their current economic predicaments are a result of the government policies, thus leading them to be politically hostile towards the party in power,” Suraj stated.

He argued that the mantra was not the one expression of dissatisfaction rising from the North, pointing to the “Tinubu Must Go” motion as one other instance of opposition to the administration and its insurance policies.

Asked whether or not the mantra represented the broader temper within the area, Suraj stated he believed it mirrored the views of a major proportion of Northerners.

“So to some extent, yes, the ‘Ba ma yi’ chants is the majority voice of the North,” he stated.

Suraj additionally steered that the political panorama within the North may very well be shifting, citing the attraction of opposition figures and guarantees regarding petrol subsidy coverage.

“The North recently aligned slightly with the ADC presidential candidate because of his promise to restore the fuel subsidy, but the APC still has strong fellowship,” he stated.

He added that the eventual final result of the 2027 elections would rely on a number of components, together with financial circumstances and the flexibility of political events to mobilise help.

“So when it comes to the general elections, a lot of things might come into play, but for now the majority of the North are with Atiku Abubakar.
“But with grappling poverty, money could play a huge role on who they will really vote come January,” he stated.

‘Ba Ma Yi’ Chants: Why APC Northern Governors Are Facing Public Anger Ahead Of 2027

The chant “Ba ma yi,” a Hausa expression generally understood on this context as “we don’t want it” or “we reject it,” has featured in a number of public gatherings in northern Nigeria, drawing consideration to rising expressions of dissatisfaction with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) forward of the 2027 basic elections.

The chants have been reported in several circumstances, together with a dispute over land allocation in Niger State and political gatherings in Kaduna and Katsina states. While the incidents have generated debate in regards to the stage of help for President Bola Tinubu and APC governors within the North, opinions stay divided over whether or not the chants signify the views of the broader citizens.

For some observers, the chants mirror frustration over financial hardship, insecurity and authorities insurance policies. Others argue that public expressions of anger at political gatherings can’t be taken as a dependable measure of voting intentions, notably in an election the place opposition votes may very well be cut up amongst a number of candidates.

From Niger To Kaduna And Katsina: Where The Chants Were Heard
In Niger State, residents of Diko in Gurara Local Government Area reportedly protested in June 2026 in opposition to the allocation of about 500 hectares of farmland to Abuja Steel Mills Limited for a proposed photo voltaic farm and industrial park.

During the protest, residents reportedly chanted “Ba ma yi, ba ma so,” expressing opposition to the proposed growth. The incident centred on land use, livelihoods and issues over the allocation course of, slightly than an explicitly declared rejection of the APC forward of the elections.

In Kaduna State, the mantra was reported throughout political gatherings in October, together with an look by Abdulaziz Yari, the APC’s presidential marketing campaign director-general, in Rigachikun. The phrase was additionally reportedly heard from a piece of the gang throughout President Tinubu’s marketing campaign flag-off at Ranchers Bees Stadium on October 24.

The reported chants got here amid public complaints about insecurity and financial hardship.

However, the presence of the chants in a piece of a crowd doesn’t set up that all the gathering, or Kaduna State as an entire, rejected the President.

In Katsina State, residents of Malumfashi had been reported to have chanted “Bamayi” throughout Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s go to on October 28, as he travelled to Funtua for the Tinubu–Dikko 2027 marketing campaign flag-off in Funtua Senatorial Zone.

The similar interval additionally witnessed reviews of violence involving APC supporters travelling by way of Malumfashi to attend the marketing campaign occasion. Daily Trust reported that a number of supporters had been injured and autos broken in an assault allegedly carried out by suspected political thugs. One of the victims, Abubakar Lawal, stated their autos had been pelted with stones and different objects, leaving home windows smashed and passengers assaulted.

The identities of the attackers and their motives weren’t independently established within the reviews. Party sources reportedly attributed the incident to inner APC disagreements, whereas victims referred to as for stronger safety and motion in opposition to these accountable.

The reported violence and chants are separate incidents and shouldn’t be handled as proof that the governor personally confronted an assault.

Bello Umar Palladan, from Sokoto State, cautioned in opposition to deciphering the chants as a definitive expression of the political of all the North.

He argued that even when the chants persuade some voters to reject the APC, the ruling occasion may nonetheless profit if opposition votes are divided amongst a number of candidates.

“Some folks will certainly keep away from voting APC, however APC may nonetheless get the victory as a result of the votes are going to be shared unnecessarily.

“Once APC got 35 per cent of Nigerians’ votes and the other parties shared 64 per cent, while one per cent will be invalid, then I don’t think there is any party that will get 30 per cent,” he stated.

Palladan additionally questioned whether or not public expressions of opposition would essentially translate into votes in opposition to Tinubu on election day.

Charles Yakubu, from Kaduna State, argued that the importance of the chants lies not solely within the variety of folks collaborating but in addition within the choice to specific opposition at a political gathering.

However, he questioned why individuals who oppose a candidate would attend that candidate’s marketing campaign to make their place identified.

“If I don’t prefer a particular candidate, why do I bother myself going to his campaign? Why not just stay at home and be busy with all other things.
“You should send a message to the particular candidate who faces the kind of chants from those standing in the background. It’s one thing to have a preferred candidate and not want you; it’s another thing to be bold enough to bring it to your face and tell you, ‘I don’t want you.’ I could simply wait for the polls to cast my vote, but having to show up at your campaign to tell you, ‘I don’t want you,’ sends a strong message to the APC and President Bola Tinubu,” he stated.

Explaining the that means of the mantra, Yakubu stated, “Ba ma yi” was not essentially a word-for-word translation of “we don’t want you,” however conveyed an identical message within the political context.

“It helps the person understand: ‘Ba ma yi’ means we don’t have anything to do with you. We are not with you in this particular election. We don’t want you,” he stated.

Yakubu attributed the chants largely to the financial difficulties going through Nigerians and what he described as a disconnect between the life-style of political leaders and the hardship residents are being requested to endure.

“A father should not be eating chicken while telling the children that the family is poor and cannot afford a decent meal,” he stated.
“I’m not saying that the President of the country should be seen eating garri with us, but he cannot be flaunting luxury for himself, his APC people and his family members, living an extravagant life while telling Nigerians to continue to endure the suffering.
“I strongly believe that the North will still vote for Peter Obi because it is mere propaganda to say that the man is not known in the North,” he stated.

Aliyu Abubakar, from Adamawa State, interpreted the chants as a direct expression of opposition to Tinubu’s administration, notably amongst Nigerians scuffling with rising dwelling prices.

“It is, in my own opinion, an outright rejection of Tinubu’s government, which is born out of the harsh economic policies meted out to poor Nigerians.
“Especially the removal of fuel subsidy, the increase in the prices of commodities and the increase in insecurity, which cannot be divorced from the poverty in the country,” he stated.

Abubakar was notably pessimistic in regards to the APC’s prospects within the North.
“I doubt if APC can win one single state in the North without rigging the election result.
“The contest of the 2027 election, as far as poor Nigerians are concerned, is between Atiku of ADC and Obi of NDC. At best, Tinubu will clinch a distant third. Northerners are not smiling,” he stated.

Kobi Mukhtar, from Bauchi State, additionally rejected the concept that the chants essentially signify the political place of all the North.

“It doesn’t represent the voices of the North, but the cries of Nigerians over the harsh economic policies of Tinubu’s administration,” he stated.