With the January 16, 2027 presidential election drawing closer, supporters of President Bola Tinubu are stepping up efforts to take his re-election campaign beyond political rallies and into homes, markets, communities and places of worship.
The strategy was on display in Abuja on Friday when the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, inaugurated the national headquarters of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, a political mobilisation platform established to rally support for the President’s second-term bid.

The inauguration brought together prominent political figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu and governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, who expressed support for the movement.
At the heart of the gathering was a message to the movement’s members: the battle for votes in 2027 would require sustained engagement with Nigerians at the grassroots, particularly as the administration seeks to explain its policies and persuade voters of the benefits of its economic reforms.

For Mrs Tinubu, however, the task goes beyond asking Nigerians to vote for her husband. She urged campaigners to listen to citizens, address their concerns and communicate the administration’s policies without discrimination against people of different political persuasions.
She described door-to-door mobilisation as an opportunity to engage communities directly, explain government programmes and build public confidence in the administration.

The new headquarters, she said, would serve as a coordination centre for developing campaign ideas and taking the message of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to households across the country.
Mrs Tinubu charged members to conduct their activities peacefully and respectfully, insisting that every Nigerian deserved to be heard and valued, irrespective of political affiliation.

She also urged the campaigners to make hope, unity, development and shared prosperity central to their message, with particular attention to the economic challenges facing citizens and the opportunities available to young people.
The First Lady maintained that campaigners needed to explain the administration’s economic reforms and what she described as emerging opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics and electric vehicles.

“Things are happening. Jobs are coming in. Investors are also coming in, in droves,” she said.
She expressed optimism about the country’s prospects, saying she wanted to see a Nigeria where citizens could enjoy better infrastructure, efficient transportation and greater prosperity.

Yet, as the administration prepares to seek another four-year mandate, the challenge for its supporters will be to translate these assurances into arguments that resonate with voters confronting the realities of everyday life.
Senate President Akpabio also emphasised the importance of grassroots engagement, describing the movement as a platform for promoting national unity and mobilising support for Tinubu’s second term.

He commended the movement’s grand patron, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, and its national coordinator, Comrade Sunday Asuku, for establishing a structure dedicated to the President’s re-election campaign.
According to Akpabio, the movement had visited 14 states, while its members were already conducting door-to-door campaigns in places including Sokoto and Borno.

He urged them to make their interactions with residents more than routine political solicitations, arguing that effective mobilisation required listening to people and understanding their difficulties.
“When you go from door to door, do not merely seek political support. Carry a message of the hope of the Renewed Hope of this President to them,” he said.

Akpabio defended the administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy, efforts to stabilise the currency and tax reforms, arguing that the measures were intended to reposition the economy for long-term growth.
He also cautioned against allowing political competition to deepen divisions among Nigerians, urging the movement to promote unity across ethnic, religious and political lines.

“Our diversity must never become our division. Our difficulties must never destroy our determination. And our politics must never become greater than our patriotism,” he said.
For Tompolo, the inauguration marked another stage in the movement’s effort to establish a nationwide campaign structure ahead of the presidential election.

In a message delivered on his behalf by the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Chief Kestin Pondi, the movement’s grand patron said the inauguration of the Abuja headquarters would strengthen its capacity to reach more communities.
“This is more than the opening of an office. It is the opening of a new front in the effort to carry the message of Renewed Hope to every Nigerian,” he said.

He added that the movement intended to extend its activities to households, wards, communities, markets and places of worship, with the aim of mobilising support for Tinubu and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tompolo said the movement had already taken its campaign to 14 states and planned to visit the remaining states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He argued that Tinubu deserved a second term for taking what he described as difficult decisions to reposition the economy and improve governance.
“Our message is clear: Nigeria is not standing still; Nigeria is moving forward,” he said.

The statement also presented the administration’s reforms as a central argument for re-election, while calling on members to sustain their engagement with citizens before the polls.
Governors Oborevwori and Aiyedatiwa, in separate goodwill messages, expressed support for the movement and pledged to work towards Tinubu’s re-election. Deputy Speaker Kalu also commended Tompolo for establishing the platform.

The opening of the headquarters gives the movement a central base from which to coordinate its activities, but the wider test will be whether its expanding political structure can sustain meaningful engagement with voters across the country.
Door-to-door campaigns offer candidates and their supporters an opportunity to reach people who may not attend political rallies. They also expose campaigners directly to questions about the cost of living, employment, security, infrastructure and the impact of government policies.

For the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, the task will be to take the administration’s message to these communities while responding to the concerns residents raise.
With the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, the movement says its next phase will focus on extending its reach beyond the 14 states it has visited.