Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Dr. Mustapha Mohammed Jibrin, Chairman of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen’s Forum (PLGCF), on Wednesday launched a nationwide grassroots mobilisation drive for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, declaring that the party’s electoral victory would be determined at the local government and ward levels.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the executive of the PLGCF to the APC national secretariat in Abuja, where the forum pledged to deploy its network of about 685 elected local government chairmen across the 31 APC-controlled states to galvanise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Leading the delegation, Jibrin, who also chairs Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, described local government chairmen as the closest elected political office holders to Nigerians, saying they possess first-hand knowledge of the needs and aspirations of grassroots communities.
‘We are the closest tier of government to the people. We understand the grassroots and possess first-hand intelligence about our communities,’ he said.
Jibrin argued that the APC’s success in the 2027 elections would depend largely on the effectiveness of its grassroots structures, adding that the forum had resolved to throw its full weight behind Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He commended the President for promoting local government autonomy and strengthening grassroots governance, saying the administration’s reforms were ensuring that the dividends of democracy reached ordinary Nigerians.
Also speaking, Rawlings Dagidi, the forum’s Deputy National Chairman (South), said local government councils were now better positioned to deliver infrastructure and deepen the party’s support base because of the reforms introduced under the Tinubu administration.
Responding, Yilwatda described local government chairmen as the party’s greatest political assets, stressing that they remained indispensable to the APC’s electoral success.
‘You are nearer to the people than anyone else. You understand your communities and know what the people need. You are the strongest pillars we have to win elections,’ he said.
The APC chairman urged all elected office holders to take direct responsibility for political mobilisation, insisting that those occupying political offices must actively work to secure electoral victories for the party.
He also praised development projects undertaken by APC-controlled councils, including schools, primary healthcare centres, roads and water schemes, noting that effective local governance remained critical to reducing multidimensional poverty.
Yilwatda assured the delegation that the party’s national leadership would facilitate closer collaboration between the forum and the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) while also briefing President Tinubu on the initiative.
The visit ended with the presentation of branded campaign materials to the APC leadership and the formal naming of Yilwatda as National Patron of the Progressive Local Government Chairmen’s Forum.