Senior citizens in their hundreds in Akure, Ondo State capital, have received free surgical treatment as part of measures to improve their health and wellbeing, as well as to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 general election.

With the free and comprehensive medical outreach organised by a support group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), PBAT Mandate Elders Forum, the group disclosed that it is committed to the welfare of the elderly in the state.

While emphasising that the initiative was part of a broader effort to mobilise grassroots support for Tinubu, the Chairman of the forum, Erastus Akeju, disclosed that the initiative has advanced to a critical surgical and treatment phase at Jobarteh Hospital in Akure.

According to him, hospital-based care for beneficiaries is a follow-up to a large-scale free medical screening camp held earlier, stressing that the initial outreach detected a range of health conditions among senior citizens during the check-up.

Akeju, who maintained that the initiative was sponsored by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated that it provided comprehensive checks for blood pressure, blood sugar, eye conditions, prostate, and general assessments, with all hospital bills, including surgeries, covered, as well as transport allowances.

He further stated that the follow-up treatment underscores the seriousness of the initiative and the commitment to ensuring that identified health challenges are properly addressed. Akeju maintained that elders are under close medical supervision to ensure full recovery and improved quality of life.

On his part, the forum facilitator, Demola Ijabiyi, described the intervention as a demonstration of compassionate, people-centred governance, particularly for a demographic that often struggles with access to healthcare.

Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the programme, hailing it as timely and life-saving, and added that the care was unprecedented in the state, pledging strong political support in return.