2027 elections: North Central mobilisation movement plans grand rally for Tinubu

Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Nigeria’s North Central region have inaugurated a grassroots mobilisation platform aimed at coordinating support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general election.

The initiative, known as the North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement for Tinubu/Shettima, was unveiled at an inaugural meeting held at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in Abuja on Friday.

The meeting, attended by political leaders, governors and other stakeholders from the region, also resolved to organise a grand rally in Lafia, Nasarawa state, alongside medical outreach programmes and town hall engagements across the North Central geopolitical zone. Blueprint reports

The movement is expected to provide a coordinated platform for political mobilisation, public engagement and communication of the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration ahead of the next presidential election.

Akume charges region on grassroots mobilisation

Speaking at the meeting, Akume commended the movement’s National Coordinator, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, for bringing the initiative to fruition.

The SGF said the North Central had set an overriding objective of delivering the highest regional vote total for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

He acknowledged the importance of bringing political leaders and grassroots actors together under a common platform to strengthen coordination and mobilisation across the six states of the region and the Federal Capital Territory.

The initiative, according to stakeholders, is expected to deepen engagement at the community level while providing a structure through which political leaders can coordinate activities ahead of the polls.

Sule expresses confidence in APC prospects

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State described the movement as timely, expressing confidence in the APC’s political prospects in the region.

Sule observed that some of the challenges confronting the party ahead of the 2027 election were gradually receding, while pointing to the latest voter register as an indication of the APC’s support base in the North Central.

He expressed optimism that the region would deliver a substantial number of votes for Tinubu and other APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.

The governor also argued that the political influence of the North Central had increased compared with the period preceding the 2023 general election.

He cited the region’s representation in key political positions, including the offices of the SGF and APC National Chairman, as well as other strategic appointments, as factors that could be leveraged for mobilisation.

Sule said the movement would provide an avenue for taking the party’s message to communities and strengthening engagement with voters across the region.

Echono outlines movement’s strategic objective

In his remarks, Echono said the movement was established to bring political leaders, grassroots mobilisers and other stakeholders together under a coordinated structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the objective was no longer limited to securing victory for Tinubu in the North Central but also positioning the region to record the highest number of votes for the President nationally.

Echono commended Akume, the North Central Governors’ Forum and other critical stakeholders for their commitment and support for the Renewed Hope administration.

He described the platform as a strategic mobilisation mechanism that would harness the political structures and grassroots networks across the region towards a common electoral objective.

According to him, the movement would facilitate wider political participation, strengthen coordination among stakeholders and ensure that the administration’s message reaches communities across the geopolitical zone.

He said the initiative would rely on collaboration among governors, political appointees, party officials and grassroots actors to achieve its objectives.

Information Minister highlights communication strategy

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, described the initiative as the first of its kind, highlighting the importance of coordinated communication in the mobilisation effort.

The meeting resolved that Idris would work with commissioners for information across the North Central states, APC state publicity secretaries and state publicity committees to increase awareness of the movement.

The proposed collaboration is expected to be undertaken with the support of the respective state governors.

The communication strategy is intended to provide a coordinated approach to publicising the initiative and communicating the administration’s policies and programmes across the region.

Lafia rally, medical outreach, town halls approved

At the conclusion of the meeting, stakeholders adopted several resolutions to guide the movement’s activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

Among the resolutions was the organisation of a grand rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, to formally deepen the movement’s grassroots mobilisation activities.

The forum also approved a medical outreach programme as part of its planned community engagement initiatives.

In addition, a Reconciliation Committee will be established to address disagreements and promote cohesion among stakeholders within the regional political structure.

The movement also resolved to organise town hall meetings across the North Central region to facilitate engagement with communities and communicate its objectives.

The proposed activities are expected to involve political leaders, party officials, grassroots representatives and other stakeholders across the region.

Stakeholders target coordinated regional structure

The resolutions underscore the movement’s intention to build a coordinated mobilisation framework extending beyond its inaugural meeting in Abuja.

With the planned rally, medical outreach, reconciliation mechanism and town hall meetings, the platform is expected to combine political engagement with community-level activities.

The stakeholders reiterated their commitment to mobilising support for Tinubu and Shettima in 2027, with the stated goal of making the North Central the region with the highest vote contribution to the APC presidential ticket.

The movement is expected to work with existing party structures and political stakeholders across the region as preparations for the next general election gather momentum.