An All Progressives Congress support group, Like Minds Initiative (LMI), says it has concluded plans to mobilise a strong nationwide structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

The structure is to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and the victory of all APC candidates in the elections.

LMI national coordinator and convener Augustine Esiekpe disclosed this at the group’s meeting on the roadmap for Tinubu-Shettima’s second term in Lagos on Sunday.

Mr Esiekpe said that the group supported Tinubu’s second-term ambition because it believed Nigeria needed continuity, consistency and the opportunity to complete the reforms already underway. He said that LMI had remained a strong support system for the APC since 2015, mobilising resources and structures that contributed to the party’s electoral successes.

He stated that the group mobilised people and resources for the election of the late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and intensified its efforts for his re-election in 2019.

Mr Esiekpe said that LMI also played an active role in Tinubu’s campaign in 2023, mobilising political support across the country. According to him, the group has begun strengthening its structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said that when Tinubu assumed office in 2023, Nigeria was facing serious economic challenges. According to him, those challenges informed some difficult decisions, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and reforms of the foreign exchange market.

Mr Esiekpe acknowledged that the policies brought hardship to many Nigerians. He said that continuity was necessary to sustain the administration’s institutional, infrastructural and economic reforms.

He highlighted the expansion of military capacity and efforts to establish a state police as part of the administration’s security initiatives.

Mr Esiekpe said that major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, were expected to improve connectivity and create economic opportunities. He added that the establishment of regional development commissions was aimed at addressing developmental gaps across the country.

He noted efforts to strengthen local government autonomy, following the Supreme Court judgment of July 2024 directing that allocations be paid directly to democratically elected local government councils.

Mr Esiekpe identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme as initiatives to expand educational and employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

He urged members of the group to remain active, committed and united, adding that discipline and effective mobilisation would be crucial to the party’s success in 2027.

The South-West coordinator of LMI, Alkali Yusuf, urged members to activate the group’s structures across states, local government areas and wards. He urged members to engage community leaders, traditional institutions, women, youths, artisans, professionals and other stakeholders.

(NAN)