With the 2027 general election gradually coming into focus, a new political mobilisation platform is emerging within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), one that is banking on the power of women and grassroots networks to shape the next electoral contest.
On Wednesday, the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja became the launchpad for the Tinubu TorchBearers (TTB), a movement designed to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid. More than just another political group, its promoters say it is intended to serve as a nationwide network of women leaders and grassroots organisers tasked with taking the message of the administration directly to communities across Nigeria.
The initiative received a significant boost from First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who formally inaugurated the movement and announced the donation of eight coaster buses to aid its operations and mobility across the country.
The launch highlighted what many political observers see as an increasingly strategic effort by the ruling party to consolidate support well ahead of the next election cycle, particularly among women, who constitute one of the largest voting blocs in the country.
Building a Grassroots Structure
The Tinubu TorchBearers movement is being spearheaded by Dr Mary Idele, the National Women Leader of the APC.
According to Idele, the group draws its strength from female political leaders, mobilisers, and party faithful spread across all 774 local government areas of the federation.
The objective, she explained, is to create a grassroots structure capable of communicating the policies, programmes, and achievements of the Tinubu administration directly to Nigerians at the community level.
Rather than relying solely on national campaigns and media messaging, the movement aims to engage citizens in wards, villages, marketplaces, and local communities where political opinions are often shaped long before election day.
Renewed Hope at the Centre
Addressing members of the group, the First Lady described the initiative as more than a political organisation.
She said it embodies values of service, patriotism, and commitment to national development.
According to her, President Tinubu assumed office in 2023 with a determination to reposition the country through the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We must remain focused on a Nigeria that works for all and where opportunities are expanded for every citizen to contribute to our national progress, peace and prosperity.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at economic recovery, infrastructural development, security enhancement, educational advancement, and social investment.
“Already, significant steps have been taken to strengthen agriculture, support local industries, improve healthcare delivery, create jobs, attract investment, and expand opportunities for Nigerians across various sectors,” she said.
The First Lady argued that governance alone is insufficient to achieve lasting development without citizen participation, making grassroots advocacy groups increasingly important.
“This is why platforms like Tinubu Torchbearers are vital. They help communicate the vision of government, mobilise communities, encourage civic participation, and promote national unity,’’ she said.
Women as Political Mobilisers
The launch also underscored the growing role women are expected to play in shaping the APC’s electoral strategy ahead of 2027.
Mrs Tinubu commended women across the country for their role in the party’s recently concluded primaries, describing the process as largely peaceful.
“Our party has shown the rest of the country that there can be democracy without bitterness.
“As we look ahead, I urge all members of the Tinubu TorchBearers to be true ambassadors of Renewed Hope by communicating the achievements and programmes of this administration clearly and responsibly to the people,’’ she said.
Political analysts note that women have increasingly become central to election mobilisation efforts, particularly at the grassroots level where community engagement often determines voter turnout and political loyalty.
‘From Participation to Power’
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, framed the initiative as part of a broader movement to strengthen women’s influence in governance and politics.
According to her, the Tinubu administration has created unprecedented opportunities for women through appointments, policy interventions, and social investment programmes.
She said no president has given women political inclusion and prioritisation like Tinubu did.
The minister described the Tinubu TorchBearers as a reflection of a changing political landscape in which women are moving beyond participation to becoming key drivers of political outcomes.
She described the movement as an unprecedented grassroots platform demonstrating that Nigerian women are moving “from participation to power agenda’’.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim further argued that women have been among the major beneficiaries of the administration’s social intervention programmes and should play an active role in communicating those benefits to others.
She urged women across the country to support the President’s re-election efforts by engaging their families, neighbours, and communities.
Looking Ahead to 2027
While the next presidential election remains more than a year away, the inauguration of the Tinubu TorchBearers suggests that political mobilisation is already gathering momentum.
For the APC, the strategy appears clear: build a nationwide grassroots network anchored on women, community engagement, and advocacy for the administration’s policies.
Whether the movement succeeds in translating mobilisation into electoral support remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the race for 2027 has begun taking shape, and women are expected to play a prominent role in determining its outcome.
