••• Plan Grassroots Mobilisation Across 2,000 Wards
Akure, Ondo State — The South West Zonal Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, unveiling plans to recruit canvassers in every ward across the zone ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to journalists after the committee’s meeting in Akure on Wednesday, APC South West Zonal Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, said the mobilisation strategy would ensure that the President’s socio-economic policies and programmes are communicated directly to the grassroots.
“The Zonal Executive Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC), which includes the six chairmen of the party in the zone and National Executive Council (NEC) members of the party in the zone met today in Akure and they deliberated extensively on the state of the party in the zone,” Kekemeke said.
“The party set up a committee to work with the coordinating governor of the party in the zone, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and other governors in the zone to organize a rally, an assembly or a congress of the zone which is tentatively scheduled for the end of September.”
He said the congress committee would also design modalities for working toward President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
“Our goal is that the Southwest must do to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu electorally what the Northwest consistently did for the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The officers of the zone (Southwest) had decided to appoint canvassers for President Tinubu in all the about 2,000 electoral wards in the Southwest zone. We cannot wait because we believe that as the zone of the President, we must lead the crusade for his re-election,” he declared.
Kekemeke stated that the zonal executives appraised President Tinubu’s performance and concluded he had “done so well for the people” based on the verdict of international organisations, global financial institutions, and economic experts.
“They are beginning to feel the results of the bold initiative and socio-economic transformation that is happening in Nigeria. Prices of things are beginning to stabilize and coming down, the foreign exchange is coming down, debts are being paid and Nigeria is becoming internationally respectable,” he said.
“Nigeria refused under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to become a dumping ground for refugees of some Americans, and Nigeria was respected as one country that stood up and said NO. So, there is international respectability for Nigeria both politically and economically and we think that all of these must be consolidated.”
He acknowledged that the reforms had caused temporary hardship but insisted they would soon lead to prosperity and peace.
“There must be consolidation of this tenure so that after President Tinubu’s eight years, Nigeria can continue to march forward. We are convinced that the President is the best thing that has happened to our country even though we acknowledge that these reforms have brought about pains… We believe that in a not distant time, these pains will pave way and will give way to prosperity and peace in our country.”
On the emerging coalition of opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 polls, Kekemeke said while such alliances were part of democracy, they could not match Tinubu’s popularity or track record.
“I think that this coalition is good for our country because a viral opposition is one of the requirements of a standard democracy. So, it’s good that they have come together.
But this coalition of politicians cannot win against the coalition of Nigeria and coalition of people who know that President Tinubu at this time is doing the best for our country.
My own view is that this is not a coalition of untested people, they are people that have been tested and have failed, failed and failed. If people have been tested and have failed over time, it will be terrible for Nigerians to abandon someone that is setting Nigeria at the path to greatness and go back to people that have failed.”
He added that the coalition members had failed repeatedly when given opportunities in the past.
“They are not people that have not been given a first chance, failed, second chance, failed, and third chance, failed. They are a committee of people who have failed in time past and in the very recent past.
They are people who have not been able to accredit themselves credibly well in the areas that they have been asked to work. They are not people who have something to show.
I will give you an example of what I mean. When we were campaigning for President Tinubu, we had a Lagos record to show. We say that we want President Tinubu to do to Nigeria what he did to Lagos.
So let this coalition people, each of them, tell us what they did before that they want to do to Nigeria. And if we now look at what each of them did in their previous offices, they are very undesirable.
But it is good that they are adding to the beauty of democracy by trying and pretending to be a viral opposition.”
