The South West APC Support Groups Council (APC-SGC) has unveiled the zonal edition of the Renewed Hope Unity Cup Football Competition for primary schools, using the beautiful game to unite communities and drum up support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Addressing journalists at the Nigerian Union of Journalists press centre in Iyaganku, Ibadan, the Deputy Director-General of the council, Ambassador Adewale Adeogun, emphasised that football remains a powerful unifying tool for talent discovery and mass mobilisation at the foundational level.
‘The introduction of the National Primary Schools Football Tournament is designed to discover young talents, promote unity among pupils across the nation, and mobilise parents and Teachers across the length and breadth of our Zone in particular and the Nation at large,’ Adeogun stated.
Tracing the council’s political footprint since 2022, Adeogun noted that its structures have consistently spearheaded voter education and sensitisation campaigns for the ruling party.
Beyond the football pitch, he highlighted that the umbrella body of all recognised APC support groups in the six south-western states has invested heavily in community-level empowerment, youth skills training, micro-grants, and issue-based campaigns.
While commending the party’s national leadership for forming the Presidential Campaign Council, the Deputy Director-General urged the party and government at all levels to accord the support groups due recognition and political patronage, specifically requesting collaborative support for their ongoing empowerment initiatives.
‘We in the Southwest APC Support Groups Council will collaborate very closely with the Presidential Campaign Council as constituted towards mobilising support for H.E. President and other APC candidates across the Southwestern Zone,’ Adeogun assured.
He further declared that the council is fully prepared to execute a strategic engagement drive across the region to showcase the tangible achievements of President Tinubu’s administration in tackling economic reforms, infrastructure decay, and security challenges.
‘We shall ensure massive mobilisation through strategic engagement with the people of the Southwest, while showcasing the various achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his genuine intentions towards pulling the country out of economic crisis, addressing infrastructural decay, insecurity, and driving progress and development,’ he affirmed.
Flanked by the Zonal Secretary, Dr Lawrence Enaholo, the Deputy Director-General reiterated the unalloyed loyalty of the support groups to the Renewed Hope Agenda, maintaining that recognising and rewarding the grassroots base is a vital investment in the APC’s future electoral victories.
He added, ‘Beyond electioneering, APC-SGC South West has also invested directly in our communities. Some of our programmes and achievements include but are not limited to:
‘The introduction of the National Primary Schools Football Tournament, designed to discover young talents, promote unity among pupils across the Nation and mobilise parents and Teachers across the length and breadth of our Zone in particular and the Nation at large.’
‘Empowerment programmes for women, youths, and artisans, including skill training, micro-grants, and business support tools.
‘Continuous Voter Education and Issue-based Campaigns. This deepened support for the APC’s governments and the Renewed Hope Agenda in every LGA.
‘We are also using this medium to commend the APC National Leadership for the formation of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), and hoping for better collaboration and partnership with them (PCC) as partners in progress. While also appreciating the APC-led governments at Federal, State, and LGA levels for the visible achievements in infrastructure, social involvement, economic reforms, and youth development.’
The group, however, calls for recognition from the party hierarchy and leadership.
‘As critical stakeholders who contributed immensely to these victories, we respectfully call on the party (APC) and government at all levels to accord the South West APC Support Groups Council due recognition and better political patronage. Specifically, we appeal for:
‘Support and Collaboration for our Empowerment programmes, to enable us to sustain our grassroots supporters.
‘We in the Southwest APC Support Groups Council will collaborate very closely with the Presidential Campaign Council as constituted towards mobilising support for H.E. President and other APC candidates across the Southwestern Zone.
‘We shall ensure massive mobilisation through strategic engagement with the people of the Southwest, while showcasing the various achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his genuine intentions towards pulling the country out of economic crisis, addressing infrastructural decay, insecurity, and driving progress and development.
‘It is our belief that these efforts are anchored on the programmes and policies of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
‘We believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. Rewarding the base is investing in the future of the APC. We remain loyal to the party and to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, he noted.