Kaduna flag-off: Support groups stage solidarity march ahead of Tinubu’s visit

Support groups backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday staged a solidarity road march in Kaduna ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off scheduled for Saturday, October 24, declaring their readiness to mobilise voters for the president’s re-election bid in 2027.

The march brought together members of support groups operating under the Presidential Campaign Council’s Support Groups Mobilisation Directorate, with organisers describing the exercise as a demonstration of their commitment to Tinubu and a precursor to similar activities planned across the country. Blueprint reports

Speaking during the event, the Director of the Support Groups Mobilisation Directorate, Silas Ali Agara, said members had mobilised support groups across Kaduna State to welcome the president and demonstrate their support ahead of the campaign rally.

Agara said the march was also intended to communicate the level of enthusiasm among the groups and their readiness to participate in the wider mobilisation effort ahead of the 2027 general election.

“We want to show Mr President that Nigerians love him, the people of Kaduna State love him, and the youth of this country love him,” he said.

He claimed that the campaign structure had about 10,000 support groups nationwide and said the organisers were working to mobilise their members behind Tinubu.

Agara expressed confidence that the groups would sustain their activities throughout the campaign period, adding that similar solidarity marches would be organised in states the president visits.

Support groups plan nationwide mobilisation

Agara said Friday’s march was the beginning of a broader mobilisation strategy designed to demonstrate the presence and preparedness of support groups ahead of the president’s campaign engagements.

According to him, groups based in each state would be expected to turn out during the president’s visits, creating opportunities for members to demonstrate their support and participate in campaign activities.

He thanked members of the support groups for responding to the mobilisation effort, particularly the Northwest zonal coordinators, whom he credited with helping to organise participants from across the region.

Agara also acknowledged the support of the Minister of State for Works and other campaign stakeholders in coordinating the exercise.

He said the directorate would continue to work with state and zonal coordinators to strengthen participation and ensure that support groups remained active as the campaign moved across the country.

The mobilisation, he added, was intended to extend beyond the major rallies by maintaining the presence of support groups in their respective states and communities.

Minister urges sustained support for Tinubu

The Minister of State for Works, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who also serves as secretary of the Northwest support group structure, thanked the organisers and participants for turning out for the march.

Goronyo described the gathering as an initial demonstration of the mobilisation effort ahead of the campaign flag-off, expressing confidence that the groups would continue to coordinate their activities as the campaign progressed.

He said supporters had resolved to back Tinubu in the 2027 general election, citing what he described as the administration’s interventions in infrastructure, water supply, education, healthcare and other sectors.

“We thank Mr President for his unwavering commitment to the welfare and well-being of Nigerians,” he said.

Goronyo also called for continued support for Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and APC governors across the country, as well as the party’s senators, members of the House of Representatives and state lawmakers.

He expressed optimism that the mobilisation effort would strengthen the party’s campaign organisation ahead of the election.

The minister said the groups intended to sustain their activities beyond Kaduna, adding that the campaign would require continued coordination among political leaders, support groups and grassroots structures.

Campaign coordinator commends organisers

Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Productivity Centre and Northwest coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group under the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Baffa Babba Dan’Agundi, thanked God for the opportunity to witness the mobilisation exercise.

Dan’Agundi said the road march was part of a process through which support groups would demonstrate their readiness ahead of campaign events in different states.

He explained that the organisers intended to assess the presence and preparedness of support groups in states the president was scheduled to visit, ensuring that local structures were involved in the mobilisation.

He also acknowledged the role of James Abiodun Faleke in coordinating and supporting the programme, while appreciating other campaign stakeholders and officials who contributed to the exercise.

Dan’Agundi said the groups would continue to work together as the campaign moved from one state to another, with the aim of strengthening grassroots participation and supporting Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

Organisers look towards Saturday’s flag-off

Another speaker, whose name was not clearly established in the available recording, thanked the participants for turning out at short notice to support the campaign preparations.

He described the march as a deliberate effort to create a rallying point for supporters ahead of Saturday’s event and commended the leaders who helped organise the gathering.

The speaker also expressed anticipation for the arrival of Governor Uba Sani and the APC national chairman to receive the support groups’ show of solidarity.

The APC has scheduled the flag-off of Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign for Saturday, October 24, at the Kaduna Township Stadium. The event is expected to bring together party leaders, governors, campaign officials, support groups and other stakeholders.

The Kaduna event will mark the beginning of the party’s wider campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general election.

For the support groups, Friday’s road march was an opportunity to demonstrate their organisational readiness and signal their intention to remain involved throughout the campaign.

However, the organisers’ claims about the number of support groups and the level of nationwide backing were not independently verified during the event.

Their next test will be translating the mobilisation effort into sustained participation as the campaign moves beyond Kaduna to other parts of the country.