A large crowd of supporters in Garun Gabas Ward, Malam Madori Local Government Area of Jigawa State, has declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anticipated 2027 re-election bid during the inauguration of a grassroots campaign office by the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
The supporters, who chanted “Tinubu Must Stay” during the event, included members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), community leaders, women, youths and other political stakeholders.
The campaign office was established by the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), popularly known as the Tinubu Must Stay Movement, as part of efforts to expand grassroots mobilisation and promote support for the Tinubu administration.
Abdullahi, who serves as Chairman of the TMS Board of Trustees and National Coordinator, said the movement was taking its activities closer to communities to educate citizens about the Federal Government’s policies and development programmes.
According to him, the initiative is designed to strengthen public engagement and encourage support for policy continuity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said economic diversification and inclusive development remain central to Tinubu’s reform agenda, adding that government interventions in education, agriculture, food security, national security, digital literacy and healthcare are intended to improve livelihoods and stimulate economic growth.
Abdullahi referenced the development experiences of South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, arguing that sustained reforms and policy consistency were important to achieving long-term national development.
He subsequently urged residents of Garun Gabas and other communities to support Tinubu’s anticipated second-term ambition.
Beyond the political mobilisation, the NITDA Director-General announced plans to empower another 200 women in Garun Gabas Ward through the movement’s community intervention programmes.
He said the proposed initiative would build on previous empowerment activities across Jigawa State, including a recent programme in Hadejia, where beneficiaries received financial assistance, sewing machines, bakery equipment and agricultural inputs.
Abdullahi explained that the movement intended to extend its interventions to vulnerable groups, particularly women, young people, children and persons with disabilities, through economic empowerment, educational support and community development initiatives.
He also assured supporters that the movement would continue recognising and supporting communities participating in its programmes.
POLITICAL DEFECTIONS TO APC
The event also featured the defection of some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the All Progressives Congress.
The defectors, who were received by Abdullahi and APC leaders in Malam Madori, attributed their decision to what they described as development interventions and improvements in their communities.
They particularly acknowledged projects facilitated through NITDA, saying the interventions had influenced their perception of the administration’s development agenda.
Speaking at the inauguration, the APC Chairman in Malam Madori Local Government Area, Alhaji Tanko Ahmad, commended Abdullahi for supporting digital infrastructure projects aimed at expanding educational opportunities for young people.
Ahmad specifically highlighted the establishment of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Development Centre at Government Secondary School, Garun Gabas.
He said the facility was providing students with opportunities to acquire digital skills and prepare for emerging opportunities in the technology-driven economy.
The APC chairman described the intervention as significant to the educational development of the community and pledged the party’s continued support for the TMS grassroots mobilisation initiative.
He declared that the movement had established a strong presence in Garun Gabas.
GRASSROOTS EXPANSION
Also speaking, the Convener of TMS in Garun Gabas, Engineer Hashim Suleiman, described the turnout as evidence of growing acceptance of the movement at the community level.
Suleiman said the initiative began with activities in the United Kingdom before its formal launch in Abuja and subsequent expansion to grassroots communities across Nigeria.
He disclosed that the Garun Gabas inauguration was part of a wider mobilisation strategy expected to extend to additional wards and local government areas.
He also expressed optimism about the administration’s economic direction, citing developments in the financial and petroleum sectors as indicators of improving investment prospects.
Suleiman urged beneficiaries of the movement’s empowerment programmes to make productive use of the support received, particularly by establishing sustainable businesses and improving their financial independence.
A major highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of an Award of Recognition to Abdullahi by the TMS leadership in Garun Gabas.
The organisers said the award recognised his contributions to digital infrastructure development, community engagement and the expansion of the movement’s activities across Jigawa State.
The inauguration is part of the TMS strategy to strengthen its grassroots structures through political sensitisation, community engagement and empowerment programmes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
