As preparations begin for the 2027 general elections, a political support group, ‘Progressives Network for Tinubu’ (PNT), has pledged full backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid and announced nothing less than 80 per cent of total votes in Ondo State.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Akure, the Ondo state capital on Monday, the PNT Director General, Olumide Obadele said the initiative is rooted in the group’s confidence in the achievements and reform agenda of the Tinubu-led administration.
Obadele, who recalled that Ondo State gave President Tinubu 67 percent of total votes in the 2023 general election, the highest in the South West, therefore, promised to surpass the 2023 election support.
He, however clarified that the activities of the PNT did not amount to a campaign, stressing that the group is fully aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not yet declared the commencement of political campaigns.
According to him, the group’s mission is anchored on mobilizing grassroots support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid, while working within the structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Obadele further noted that the group is open to membership beyond the APC. He disclosed that a former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the 2024 state governorship election and current chairman of the party, Alfred Akinuli, had been appointed as the Deputy Director General of the group.
While acknowledging the presence of other pro-Tinubu support groups in Ondo State, he emphasized that the PNT would distinguish itself through the deployment of modern technologies, massive grassroots engagements, and strategic media presence.
“With great joy and every sense of patriotism to our dear country Nigeria, I stand before you today to announce the debut of Progressives Network for Tinubu a support group saddled with the sole mandate of galvanizing support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR in the fast approaching 2027 Presidential Election.
“Please, note that this is not a campaign effort as we are well-informed that the Independent National Electoral Commission is yet to open the window for electioneering campaigns.
“In 2023 Ondo State gave President Bola Ahmed Tinubu 67% of total votes cast which translated to the highest in the entire South West region, but in 2027, we shall work with the leadership of the party and other sister support groups to retain our South West ranking with nothing less than 80% of total votes.”
The DG, who also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for his strategic and immeasurable support to the group said Tunji-Ojo’s involvement had been unquantifiable in laying the foundation for the group’s emergence.
