Senator Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, encountered a hostile reception from a crowd of youths during a visit to Kaduna State on Saturday.
A video circulating widely on social media shows a large group of people surrounding a black SUV outside a building in the Rigachikun area of Kaduna. The crowd appears agitated, with individuals gesturing forcefully and pressing close to the vehicle.
Split-screen footage intercuts these outdoor scenes with images of Yari seated indoors in traditional attire alongside another elderly man, both gesturing during what appears to be a discussion.
According to posts accompanying the video, including one by pharmacist and commentator @SadiqMaunde that has garnered thousands of engagements, the youths chanted “Bamayi, bamayi, bamayi.” The Hausa expression, derived from “ba ma yi,” translates to “we will not do it,” “we refuse,” or “we don’t want.”
Commentators interpret the slogan as a public rejection of Yari and, by extension, the Tinubu campaign and APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. Some social media users claimed the crowd nearly assaulted the former Zamfara State governor.
The visit was reportedly to Sheikh Yusuf Sambo Rigachikun, a prominent Kaduna-based Islamic scholar and figure in the Izala movement. Yari’s media office has described an indoor meeting during the visit as warm, though the outdoor scenes have dominated online discussion. The Sheikh recently lost a son, with the funeral held days earlier.
No independent mainstream media outlet has confirmed reports of physical violence or a near-beating as of Sunday morning. The footage and claims originated primarily on X (formerly Twitter) and have sparked partisan reactions, with critics of the ruling party citing it as evidence of growing northern discontent, while others urge caution pending fuller verification.
Yari, a former two-term governor of Zamfara State (2011–2019) and current senator representing Zamfara West, was appointed DG of the APC Presidential Campaign Council to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election efforts. He has been touring northern states in recent weeks, holding consultations with traditional and religious leaders to build support.
The incident, whether limited to vocal rejection or more confrontational, underscores the intensity of political sentiments in parts of the North as the 2027 campaign season intensifies. Further details from security agencies, the campaign office, or eyewitnesses on the ground have yet to emerge.
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