APC pitches subsidy, others for Tinubu’s re-election, launches portal for support groups

Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has argued that removing or retaining fuel subsidy would make little difference to Nigerians without effective law enforcement and prudent management of public resources.

This was as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) identified fuel subsidy removal, tax reforms and local government autonomy as among key policy achievements it intends to showcase in its drive to secure support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

The PCC said it would mobilise support groups and volunteer networks nationwide to communicate the administration’s policies, explain its achievements and engage Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

So, it launched an online registration portal to coordinate groups and volunteer networks mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election.

Lamido spoke with journalists after the party’s campaign council was inaugurated in Jigawa State, where he maintained that subsidy policy alone could not resolve the country’s economic challenges.

The former governor of Jigawa recalled supporting the proposed removal of fuel subsidy during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying the policy should be assessed based on its implications for individual states and their residents.

He explained that fuel consumption varied across states, arguing that areas with fewer vehicles could benefit less from a subsidy regime that favoured high fuel consumption in major urban centres.

Lamido, however, maintained that neither removing nor retaining the subsidy would adequately address the country’s economic challenges without proper management of public funds.

“Either way, the money will not amount to anything because there is no enforcement of law and order,” he said.

DIRECTOR of the 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council Support Groups Mobilisation Directorate, Silas Agara, disclosed the party’s campaign strategy in Abuja, yesterday, while announcing the launch of an online registration portal for groups and volunteers supporting Tinubu’s second-term bid.

The registration portal opened on October 17 and will close on October 22, 2026. The directorate urged all groups working for the President’s re-election to register within the five-day window, irrespective of whether they had previously registered with the party or another campaign structure.

Speaking during a briefing at the TSG office in Abuja, Agara described the exercise as a strategic move to build a stronger, better-coordinated and nationwide support network for the campaign.

He said the registration process would enable the directorate to verify participating groups, determine their geographical spread and assess their organisational capacity to facilitate effective coordination and engagement with voters.

According to him, support groups serve as an important link between the party, the campaign organisation and Nigerians by bringing together communities, professional associations, interest groups and volunteers to communicate government policies and engage citizens on issues affecting their lives.

Our mandate is to coordinate these groups, strengthen their organisational capacity and ensure that their activities complement the broader objectives of the APC presidential campaign,” he said.

Explaining the policy issues that would underpin the mobilisation drive, Agara said the campaign would be anchored on the record of the Tinubu administration and its Renewed Hope Agenda.

He listed the removal of the petrol subsidy, unification of foreign exchange rates, measures to strengthen local government autonomy and comprehensive tax reforms among the major initiatives undertaken by the administration over the past three years.

The directorate also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides financing opportunities for eligible students, and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, established to broaden access to consumer credit.