Oyo Tinubu support groups seek inclusion in governance

Support groups that mobilised for the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Oyo State in the 2023 presidential election have appealed to the Presidency and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to recognise and integrate them into governance and party administration.

The groups, under the aegis of the Coalition of Presidential Campaign Councils of Support Groups in Oyo State, made the appeal at a press briefing held at Domino Hall, Ring Road, Ibadan, on Saturday.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Coordinator of the coalition, Hon. Yemi Akinwale ‘JP’ (Havana), said many of the support groups, coordinators and grassroots mobilisers who worked for Tinubu’s victory in 2023 had not been adequately engaged or recognised two years after the election.

Akinwale said the groups had deployed their structures across the 33 local government areas, 351 wards and 6,390 polling units in the state to mobilise support for the President.

He said the coalition was seeking “recognition, inclusion and engagement”, stressing that the appeal was not intended to undermine the APC leadership or the administration of President Tinubu.

According to him, the grassroots structures remained valuable channels for communicating government policies, explaining reforms, correcting misinformation and conveying feedback from communities to government.

“We are not here to complain. We are not here to create division. We are not here to undermine the leadership of our party or the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Rather, we are here to offer ourselves as partners who remain available and willing to contribute to the success of the administration,” he said.

The coalition appealed to President Tinubu, APC leaders and relevant government authorities to create appropriate channels for the meaningful engagement of support groups in Oyo State.

It also requested opportunities for qualified members to be considered for appointments, programmes and other legitimate avenues of participation where their experience, competence and grassroots connections could be utilised.

The coalition further called for a structured interface between the Presidency and representatives of support groups in the state to enable them to present a roadmap for grassroots engagement.

Akinwale, however, said the demand was not based on entitlement, noting that governance required competence, responsibility, discipline and adherence to due process.

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He said the coalition supported a system that recognised the contributions of grassroots structures while promoting merit, competence and accountability.

In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the coalition also commended President Tinubu’s administration for what it described as reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda, citing foreign exchange unification, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative and increased federal allocations to states.

It also commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative, particularly those targeted at women, youths and vulnerable Nigerians.

However, the coalition expressed concern that the limited engagement of support groups since the 2023 election had resulted in what it described as “low morale, disillusionment, and weakening” of grassroots structures.

It consequently appealed to the President, the national leadership of the APC and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters to engage and include Oyo support groups in federal appointments, boards, empowerment programmes, palliative distribution and policy communication.

The coalition also requested a formal meeting with the President or an authority designated by him to present its proposed roadmap for utilising its structures across the state’s 6,390 polling units.

It said the structures could be used to communicate government achievements, counter misinformation and mobilise voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coalition further resolved to commence the re-energisation of its structures across the wards and local government areas of Oyo State, including early grassroots sensitisation on the achievements of the Tinubu administration.

It said it remained committed to the President and the APC and expressed readiness to work with relevant authorities to strengthen grassroots engagement.

The coalition said it was confident that, if properly engaged and supported, its structures would be able to contribute to the mobilisation of support for Tinubu in the 2027 election.