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Leaders and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central Region of Nigeria have inaugurated a grassroots mobilization platform aimed at coordinating support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative, known as the North Central Grassroots Mobilization Movement for Tinubu/Shettima, was unveiled on Friday at an inaugural meeting at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in Abuja.
The meeting, attended by political leaders, governors and other stakeholders from the region, also agreed to organize a major rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, alongside medical awareness programs and municipal engagements across the North Central geopolitical zone. Project reports
The movement is expected to provide a coordinated platform for political mobilization, public engagement and communication of the policies and programs of the Tinubu administration ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.
Akume blames the region for grassroots mobilization
Speaking at the meeting, Akume praised the movement’s national coordinator, Arc. Sonny ST Echono, for bringing the initiative to fruition.
The SGF said the North Central has set itself the primary objective of providing the highest regional vote total for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
He recognized the importance of bringing together political leaders and grassroots actors under a common platform to strengthen coordination and mobilization across the region’s six states and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to stakeholders, the initiative should strengthen community-level engagement while providing a structure through which political leaders can coordinate activities ahead of the polls.
Sule expresses confidence in APC’s prospects
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State described the move as timely, expressing confidence in the political prospects of the APC in the region.
Sule noted that some of the challenges facing the party ahead of the 2027 elections are gradually easing, 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 could provide a sizeable number of votes to Tinubu and other APC candidates in the upcoming elections.
The governor also argued that the political influence of the North Central has increased compared to the period before the 2023 general elections.
He cited the region’s representation in key political positions, including the offices of the national chairman of the SGF and APC, as well as other strategic appointments, as factors that could be leveraged for mobilisation.
Sule said the movement will provide an avenue to take the party’s message to communities and strengthen engagement with voters across the region.
Echono outlines the strategic goal of the movement
In his remarks, Echono said the movement was established to bring together political leaders, grassroots mobilizers and other stakeholders under a coordinated structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the objective is no longer limited to ensuring Tinubu’s victory in the North Central, but also positioning the region to record the highest number of votes for the President nationwide.
Echono commended Akume, the North Central Governors Forum and other critical stakeholders for their commitment and support to the Renewed Hope administration.
He described the platform as a strategic mobilization mechanism that would inspire political structures and grassroots networks across the region towards a common electoral goal.
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 will rely on collaboration between governors, political appointees, party officials and grassroots actors to achieve its goals.
The Minister of Information highlights the communication strategy
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, described the initiative as the first of its kind, underlining the importance of coordinated communication in the mobilization effort.
The meeting decided that Idris would work with information commissioners in North Central states, state publicity secretaries of the APC and state publicity committees to raise awareness of the movement.
It is anticipated that the proposed collaboration will be undertaken with the support of the respective state governors.
The communications strategy is intended to provide a coordinated approach to publicizing the initiative and communicating the administration’s policies and programs across the region.
Lafia demonstration, medical assistance, approved municipalities
At the end of the meeting, stakeholders adopted several resolutions to guide the movement’s activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Among the resolutions was the organization of a large gathering in Lafia, Nasarawa State, to formally delve into the movement’s grassroots mobilization activities.
The forum also approved a medical awareness program as part of planned community engagement initiatives.
Furthermore, a reconciliation committee will be established to address disagreements and promote cohesion between stakeholders within the regional political structure.
The movement has also decided to organize meetings in the town halls of the central-northern region to facilitate community involvement and communicate its objectives.
The proposed activities are expected to involve political leaders, party officials, grassroots representatives and other stakeholders across the region.
Stakeholders aim for a coordinated regional structure
The resolutions underline the movement’s intention to build a coordinated mobilization framework that extends beyond its inaugural meeting in Abuja.
With the planned demonstration, medical awareness activities, reconciliation mechanism and town hall meetings, the platform is expected to combine political engagement with community-level activities.
Stakeholders reiterated their commitment to mobilize support for Tinubu and Shettima in 2027, with the stated aim of making North Central the region with the highest electoral contribution to the APC presidential list.
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.
