The Senator Yari National Unity Project for Tinubu 2027 (SYNUP 4 Tinubu 2027) has dismissed reports that Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari described Nigerian youths as lazy, insisting that his remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were deliberately taken out of context.
The group, in a press statement issued on Monday by its National Coordinator, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, said Yari, Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, never mentioned or described Nigerian youths as lazy during the rally held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday, November 6.
According to SYNUP, the senator was speaking about food availability, hunger and the cost of living when he acknowledged that Nigerians were experiencing hardship but maintained that food was available in markets and that industrious citizens could earn a living through productive engagement.
The organisation described the headline suggesting that Yari called Nigerian youths lazy as a misrepresentation of his remarks, urging media organisations and commentators to review the full, unedited video of the rally.
It said: “At no point in that remark did the Senator mention, single out or describe Nigerian youths. To turn a statement on the dignity of work, made by a man who had just acknowledged that hunger exists, into the headline ‘Yari calls youths lazy’ is not reporting; it is spin.”
SYNUP maintained that Yari’s position was not a dismissal of the economic difficulties facing Nigerians but an advocacy for work, enterprise and productivity as pathways out of hardship.
To reinforce its defence, the group highlighted several youth focused interventions attributed to the former Zamfara State governor, including educational scholarships, military recruitment facilitation, agricultural support and public sector employment.
It disclosed that the Senator Abdul’aziz Yari Scholarship Initiative, established in 2024 and personally funded by the senator, currently supports 2,055 orphans and indigent students studying at 19 public and private tertiary institutions across the North-West.
The initiative reportedly spent ₦216 million on tuition fees in its first year, provides beneficiaries with a monthly stipend of ₦15,000 and guarantees sponsorship through graduation.
The group also said Yari facilitated the enlistment of 84 young men and women from Zamfara West into the Nigerian Army’s 86th Regular Recruit Intake, as well as another 74 recruits during the 87th intake.
Other interventions cited include the distribution of fertilisers, agrochemicals and farm equipment to farmers, the recruitment of 1,000 NCE-qualified teachers during his administration as governor in 2017, and the distribution of food and clothing to 10,000 orphans across Zamfara State during Ramadan and Sallah in 2024.
According to SYNUP, these interventions demonstrate Yari’s commitment to improving the welfare and opportunities of young Nigerians.
The organisation also expressed confidence in Yari’s leadership of the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, following his appointment as Director-General by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in August 2026.
It cited his political and administrative experience as a former member of the House of Representatives, two-term governor of Zamfara State, former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and current Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water Resources.
SYNUP said the campaign council had commenced grassroots mobilisation through town-hall meetings and consultations with religious and traditional institutions, describing the approach as evidence of its willingness to engage Nigerians and listen to their concerns.
The group consequently reaffirmed its confidence in Yari and directed its national, zonal and state officers to intensify mobilisation for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
It also called on Nigerian youths to assess political leaders based on their records and contributions rather than what it described as propaganda.
While acknowledging the media’s constitutional role in scrutinising public officials and political leaders, SYNUP urged media organisations that published or amplified the allegation to review the complete footage and correct what it described as a misleading narrative.
The organisation stressed that political disagreements and criticism were legitimate in a democracy but insisted that public statements should be reported accurately and in their proper context.
“Nigerian youths deserve a serious conversation about jobs, skills and opportunity. Senator Yari has been part of that conversation, with results, for nearly two decades. SYNUP 4 Tinubu 2027 stands firmly with him,” the statement added.
