(L-R) All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council Director of Diaspora Mobilisation and NiCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri; Deputy Director II, Prince Ade Omole; and Deputy Director III, Lady Kasham Musa Ilya, at a leadership meeting of the APC PCC Diaspora Mobilisation Directorate in Abuja on Wednesday. Photo Credit: Abdulrahman Zakariyau
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has unveiled a five-point strategy to mobilise Nigerians in the diaspora for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 general election.
Speaking at the activation of the APC PCC Diaspora Mobilisation Directorate in Abuja on Wednesday, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, urged Nigerians abroad to continue sending money home, describing their relationship with Nigeria as symbiotic.
The Director of Diaspora Mobilization explained that, “To ensure that we galvanise Nigerians in the diaspora to re-elect our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for a second term and consolidate the Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0, themed From Reforms to Prosperity, the Diaspora Directorate will immediately roll out a five-point strategic plan.
“Number one is global structure activation. We will harmonise and activate all our APC diaspora chapters across the five continents, from the United States to the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Australia, Turkey, India, Kazakhstan and every other part of the world.
“We will also reach out to the large number of Nigerians abroad who do not belong to any political party but have inundated us with calls expressing their desire to be part of the President’s re-election campaign.
“Number two is a digital war room: Operation Tell Your Story. While our brothers and sisters in the diaspora may not yet be able to vote from abroad, they have considerable influence at home.
We will be launching Operation Tell Your Home Story. Every Nigerian in the diaspora will be empowered with short videos, infographics and other materials highlighting the achievements of this administration.”
Dabiri said the unification of the foreign exchange rate under President Tinubu had been welcomed by Nigerians in the diaspora, who previously faced uncertainty over exchange rate fluctuations.
She acknowledged that the removal of the fuel subsidy had been difficult but necessary, saying Tinubu had chosen to fix systemic problems rather than manage existing failures.
Director Diaspora Mobilization added that, “Number three is diaspora fundraising and compliance.
Let me stress this: Nigerians in the diaspora can come together and decide what they want to do, and we will allow them to determine how they wish to support the campaign.
“However, we want to encourage transparency. Those who want to contribute to nation-building can use structured platforms to support campaign activities, voter education materials, town hall meetings and grassroots mobilisation in their states of origin.
“We will embark on awareness programmes to support the ongoing PVC awareness campaign. The message is simple: collect your PVC and vote.We will encourage Nigerians in the diaspora to urge their family members at home to collect their PVCs.”
She revealed that the Diaspora Directorate will establish a rapid-response mechanism to counter misinformation about Nigeria and the Tinubu administration, providing verified data, fact-checks and information on the country’s investment climate, economic stabilisation and prospects under President Tinubu.
Responding to the controversy surrounding Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi’s alleged call for Nigerians in the diaspora to stop sending money home, which he later denied, Dabiri said diaspora remittances and investments had continued to grow under President Tinubu, contrary to expectations of a decline. She described the increase as a sign of confidence in Tinubu’s economic reforms.
She added that Nigerians living abroad understood the effects of the previous multiple exchange rate system and periods of economic instability, noting that their past experiences had influenced their perception of the current reforms.
The Director continued, “Nigerians in the diaspora understand the situation. As I said, they know what they went through when we did not have a unified exchange rate. They also know what they experienced during periods of economic instability.
“Perhaps that is why some people are afraid. They may be concerned about the growing strength of the diaspora and the confidence they have demonstrated under this administration. But that is what distinguishes the diaspora: they understand what is happening.
“What we are telling them to do is use that understanding to educate people back home. They should explain that our economy is stabilising, that the reforms have been difficult but necessary, and that we are moving towards the next stage of prosperity.
“Our appeal to Nigerians in the diaspora is that Nigeria needs you, and you also need Nigeria. It is a symbiotic relationship.
Let us continue to deepen that relationship and make it stronger and better. We should not discourage anyone from sending money home.”
President Tinubu inaugurated the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for his 2027 re-election bid at the Presidential Villa on October 14, appointing former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as its Director-General.
Since the inauguration, the APC PCC and its directorates have intensified preparations ahead of the official commencement of the party’s campaign, scheduled for October 24 in Kaduna, Kaduna State. President Tinubu is expected to attend the rally.