Key stakeholders and leaders of the All Progressives Congress from the North Central zone have initiated a grassroots mobilisation campaign aimed at rallying strong backing for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima as the 2027 general elections approach.
The initiative, known as the North Central Grassroots Mobilisation Movement for Tinubu/Shettima 2027, was launched during an inaugural meeting held at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, in Abuja on Friday.
The development was disclosed in a statement posted on the X handle of the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday.
According to the statement, the movement has set a target of delivering the highest regional vote total for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at the meeting, Akume commended the movement’s National Coordinator, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, for bringing the initiative to fruition.
He said the North Central had an “overriding objective” of delivering the highest regional vote total for Tinubu.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, also described the initiative as timely, saying the region was better positioned politically than it was ahead of the 2023 election.
Sule said the latest voter register indicated strong support for the APC in the North Central and expressed confidence that the region would deliver a significant number of votes for Tinubu and other APC candidates.
He also pointed to the region’s representation in key political positions, including the offices of the SGF and APC National Chairman, as evidence of its increased political strength.
According to the statement, Sule said the mobilisation movement would be used to take the APC’s message to the grassroots and coordinate support across the region.
Echono said the focus had moved beyond whether Tinubu would secure support in the North Central to how the region could deliver the highest number of votes to him in 2027.
“The conversation was no longer simply about whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would win the North Central but about the region positioning itself to deliver the highest number of votes to the President in the 2027 election,” Echono said.
He also commended Akume, the North Central Governors’ Forum and other stakeholders for their support for the Tinubu administration.
Echono described the movement as a platform that would bring together political leaders, grassroots actors and other stakeholders under a “shared vision and common purpose” ahead of the elections.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the initiative as “the first of its kind”.
Lafia Rally, Medical Outreach Planned
At the end of the meeting, the stakeholders resolved to intensify grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election, with the stated objective of delivering the region’s highest vote total.
The forum also agreed to organise a grand rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, alongside a medical outreach programme.
Other resolutions included the establishment of a Reconciliation Committee to address grievances within the party and the organisation of town hall meetings across the North Central region.
The stakeholders further resolved that the Minister of Information would work with state commissioners for information, state publicity secretaries and publicity committees to raise awareness about the initiative, with the support of the respective governors.
The planned Lafia rally has subsequently been reported as scheduled for October 10, 2026, with APC stakeholders from the six North Central states expected to participate.
What You Should Know
The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the North Central zone have officially formed a movement to campaign aggressively at the grassroots level for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 polls, setting an ambitious target to deliver the highest regional vote count.
- Positive Impact: This initiative aims to foster stronger political engagement, bring governance closer to everyday citizens, and ensure the region actively bargains for impactful developmental projects through unified political participation.
- Potential Concerns: Heightened early political campaigns could distract elected officials from delivering immediate governance, potentially deepening partisan divisions among ordinary residents across the region.
