Jigawa crowd chants ‘Tinubu Must Stay’ as NITDA DG leads 2027 mobilisation

A large crowd of supporters on Saturday trooped out in Garun Gabas Ward, Malam Madori Local Government Area of Jigawa State, to declare support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The supporters chanted “Tinubu Must Stay” as the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, inaugurated a grassroots campaign office to mobilise support for the president.

 

The event, organised by the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), popularly known as the Tinubu Must Stay Movement, attracted All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains, community leaders, women, youths and other supporters.

 

Abdullahi, who is also the chairman of the TMS Board of Trustees and national coordinator, said the movement was expanding its grassroots structures to educate citizens on the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

He said the initiative was aimed at strengthening community engagement and mobilising support for the president’s anticipated re-election bid.

 

“The essence of creating the TMS Movement is to go down to the grassroots level to enlighten citizens on President Tinubu’s reforms. He made it clear when he assumed office that economic diversification and inclusivity in attaining national prosperity are paramount to his reform agenda,” he said.

 

The NITDA director-general said the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, food security, national security, digital literacy and healthcare were designed to stimulate economic growth and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

 

He cited South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia as examples of countries whose development, according to him, demonstrated the importance of sustained economic reforms and policy continuity.

 

Abdullahi said Nigeria needed consistent implementation of development policies to achieve economic transformation and compete with emerging economies.

 

He urged residents of the area to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

 

“On this note, I implore the people to come out en masse and ensure a landslide victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” he said.

 

The NITDA boss also announced plans to empower 200 additional women in Garun Gabas Ward as part of the movement’s community intervention programmes.

 

He said the initiative would complement previous empowerment exercises across Jigawa, including a recent programme in Hadejia, where beneficiaries received financial assistance, sewing machines, bakery equipment and agricultural inputs to support their businesses.

 

According to him, the movement would continue to prioritise women, youths, children and persons with disabilities through economic empowerment, educational assistance and other community development initiatives.

 

Abdullahi thanked the residents for their support for the Tinubu administration, assuring them of continued access to government interventions if the president secured another term.

 

“We are here to thank and appreciate you for your continuous support for President Tinubu’s administration. Once the President is re-elected, you will continue to benefit from the many dividends of democracy, just as you are presently enjoying,” he said.

 

The event also witnessed the defection of some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the APC.

 

The defectors, who were received by Abdullahi and the Malam Madori APC leadership, said their decision was influenced by development interventions and improvements in their communities.

 

They specifically cited projects facilitated through NITDA, which they said had strengthened their confidence in the administration’s development agenda.

 

Speaking at the event, the APC chairman in Malam Madori Local Government Area, Alhaji Tanko Ahmad, commended Abdullahi for facilitating digital infrastructure projects that had expanded educational opportunities for young people.

 

He specifically cited the establishment of an Information and Communication Technology Development Centre at Government Secondary School, Garun Gabas, describing it as an intervention that would promote digital literacy among students.

 

“We will not forget NITDA’s intervention through the establishment of the ICT Development Centre in Government Secondary School, Garun Gabas,” Ahmad said.

 

He said the facility had provided students with opportunities to acquire digital skills and prepare for emerging opportunities in the technology-driven economy.

 

Ahmad pledged the support of the APC structures in the area for the TMS initiative, promising to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

 

“The TMS Movement has secured a permanent place in Garun Gabas,” he said.

 

Also speaking, the convener of TMS in Garun Gabas, Engineer Hashim Suleiman, said the turnout demonstrated growing grassroots acceptance of the movement.

 

He said the initiative began with activities in the United Kingdom before its formal launch in Abuja and subsequent expansion to communities across Nigeria.

 

“As you know, the movement started some weeks ago. We started from the UK, launched it in Abuja, and now we are here at the community ward level. This is just the beginning, as more grassroots engagements are expected,” he said.

 

Suleiman expressed confidence in the administration’s economic policies, citing developments in the financial and petroleum sectors as indications of improving prospects for investment and economic growth.

 

He also urged beneficiaries of the movement’s empowerment programmes to utilise the assistance productively by establishing sustainable businesses and improving their economic independence.

 

A highlight of the event was the presentation of an Award of Recognition to Abdullahi by the TMS leadership in Garun Gabas in appreciation of his contributions to digital infrastructure development and grassroots engagement.

 

The organisers said the award recognised his role in facilitating technology-related interventions and supporting the expansion of the movement’s activities across Jigawa State.

The inauguration is part of the TMS grassroots mobilisation strategy, which the organisers said would be extended to more wards and local government areas through political sensitisation, community engagement and empowerment programmes.