The Senator Yari National Unity Project for Tinubu 2027 has rejected reports claiming that Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari described Nigerian youths as lazy, accusing some media organisations of taking his remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, out of context.
The group said Yari, who serves as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, was speaking about hunger, food availability and the dignity of hard work, rather than disparaging Nigerian youths.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, the group urged those circulating the allegation to watch the full footage of Yari’s speech, arguing that the senator first acknowledged the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians before speaking about productivity and the value of work.
According to the statement, Yari began his remarks by saying, “We have hunger,” and did not specifically mention Nigerian youths in the portion of the speech being referenced.
The group therefore described the interpretation of the remarks as misleading.
“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,” the statement said.
Group Highlights Yari’s Youth Interventions
In defending the senator, the group cited what it described as his interventions in education, military recruitment, agriculture and public-sector employment, arguing that his record demonstrated a commitment to improving opportunities for young Nigerians.
It claimed that Yari facilitated the enlistment of 158 young people from Zamfara West into two Nigerian Army recruitment exercises and supported farmers with agricultural inputs and equipment.
The group also pointed to his support for educational opportunities and national service as evidence that he does not hold Nigerian youths in contempt.
“A leader who sends thousands of young people to university and into national service does not hold Nigerian youths in contempt; he invests in them,” the statement added.
Group Mobilises Support for Tinubu Ahead of 2027
The Senator Yari National Unity Project reaffirmed its confidence in the senator and directed its officers across the country to intensify grassroots mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The group also called on media organisations that published the disputed reports to review the full footage of Yari’s address and make corrections where necessary.
It maintained that while political disagreements are part of democratic discourse, public figures should not be misrepresented.