By Omowale Ifeoluwa
The Progressives Network for Tinubu, a new political support group, has officially debuted in Ondo State with a pledge to deliver at least 80 percent of votes in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The group, inaugurated at a press conference in Akure on Monday, said its formation was motivated by what it described as President Tinubu’s bold economic and political reforms since assuming office.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, the Director General of the group, Pastor Olumide Obadele, said the decision to back Tinubu for a second term was rooted in his achievements in the last 27 months, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, which he described as courageous policy choices that signalled purposeful leadership.
Obadele argued that Tinubu had shown clarity of vision and capacity to steer Nigeria towards prosperity, insisting that his re-election would consolidate the gains of the present administration.
The group, according to Obadele, has received the blessing of the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with official communication already made to the state party chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, and the Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
He explained that the movement is not confined to APC members alone but is open to individuals across party lines who share the conviction that Tinubu deserves another term.
This inclusiveness, he said, informed the appointment of Comrade Alfred Akinuli, a former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance and current chairman of the party in Ondo State, as the Deputy Director General of the group.
Obadele noted that the Progressives Network for Tinubu is deliberately composed of veteran politicians and new entrants, describing the combination as a winning formula that will energise the campaign.
While acknowledging the existence of other pro-Tinubu organisations in the state, he stressed that the group would operate differently by leveraging modern technology, strategic grassroots mobilisation and an aggressive media presence to spread its message.
The Director General also expressed appreciation to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for what he called his “immeasurable support” in the formation of the group.
He maintained that the goal was not to compete with existing support structures but to complement them in order to ensure that Ondo, which delivered 67 percent of votes for Tinubu in 2023, the highest in the South-West surpasses that record in 2027.
Declaring the group’s official debut, Obadele said: “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 percent of total votes. Our vision is clear and with time, our work will speak for us as we traverse the length and breadth of Ondo State preaching only one gospel the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
