By Lanre Oloyede
A coalition of former elected councillors under the platform of the Renewed Hope Ex-Councillors Forum has pledged to deploy its nationwide grassroots network to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
The forum, which said it comprises more than 100,000 elected former councillors drawn from different political parties across Nigeria’s 8,809 electoral wards, unveiled its mobilisation campaign at a news conference in Abuja.
The group said its widespread grassroots presence positions it to educate Nigerians on the policies and achievements of the Tinubu administration, strengthen support for the APC, and deepen democratic participation at the community level.
National Coordinator of the forum, Bashir Bukar Baale, said members were backing the President because they believe his administration is pursuing policies that serve the interests of the majority of Nigerians.
According to him, former councillors possess first-hand knowledge of the needs of communities, having served directly at the grassroots.
“We understand the aspiration of our people because we have served them directly at the grassroots level. We believe we constitute one of the largest APC grassroots stakeholders’ movements in the country. Our mission is to mobilise support for the Renewed Hope Agenda, strengthen the APC, promote peace, unity, good governance and deepen democratic participation across Nigeria,” he said.
Baale also commended Tinubu’s leadership, describing his economic reforms, infrastructure development, education initiatives and commitment to local government development as measures that have inspired hope among many Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Abba Isa, urged members of the forum to see themselves as critical partners in taking government policies and programmes to the grassroots.
He said the former councillors were not retiring from political service but remained custodians of grassroots mobilisation whose experience would be vital in promoting the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Your role is not only to campaign for votes but to advance and escalate the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There are many policies, programmes, initiatives and interventions that must be cascaded to the grassroots, and this forum has come at the right time,” Isa said.
Representing the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Jamila Isa Ahmed charged members of the forum to remain committed to integrity, unity and selfless service, saying their leadership should strengthen the relationship between government and the people while supporting the aspirations of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The forum also commended President Tinubu for his commitment to strengthening local government autonomy, saying functional and adequately resourced local councils remain essential to delivering meaningful development and responsive governance at the grassroots.
