… Kicks off door-to-door campaign in Ondo, cites reforms

… Rejects Atiku’s stance on subsidy

A political support group, Battalions for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Batts4BAT), has launched a grassroots mobilisation campaign in Ondo State in order to secure support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The group, which enjoys the sponsorship of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, vows to deploy a door-to-door and house-to-house strategy spanning the state’s 18 local council areas.

Temitope Iwagun, the group’s commander, unveiled the campaign strategy at a gathering of All Progressives Congress (APC) members and supporters drawn from across the state.

Iwagun described Batts4BAT as a young woman-led platform committed to moving beyond ceremonial political mobilisation to build a formidable grassroots structure capable of empowering young people, particularly women, to participate meaningfully in political decision-making.

According to her, the group’s decision to back Tinubu stemmed from what she described as the impact of Tinubu’s reforms across various economic sectors.

Iwagun cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a transformative initiative that has opened access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We are not supporting President Tinubu just because he is a politician, but because he is doing well. Imagine NELFUND. You can get a student loan, and you don’t have to say that this isn’t enough support to pay it. You can pay it at any time. That is enough reason for us to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” she said.

She further explained that the group’s theme, “From Grassroots Mobilisation to Strategic Inclusion”, reflects its commitment to demonstrating political capacity through effective community engagement.

“Giving youth power and giving young women power at the decision-making table will not be served à la carte. We are showing our capacity. We want to show them that we know that to demonstrate capacity in politics, you must make sure that you have grassroots mobilisation. And that is what we are replicating,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Iwagun rejected suggestions by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over his stance on fuel subsidy, stressing that the removal of the subsidy was a decisive policy shift that had come to stay.

Also addressing the gathering, Oladele Olugbemi, Secretary-General of the Asiwaju Mandate Group, urged members to intensify their mobilisation efforts and work toward securing Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

He described the Tinubu administration as unprecedented in its commitment to grassroots development.

“The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the first that has ever happened in the history of Nigeria. This is the first time that we are witnessing not just democracy, but democracy getting to the grassroots, and people at the grassroots are benefiting.

“Everything in Nigeria, for the first time, is working. Roads are under construction, students are happy, loans are being given to students, and farmers are enjoying and are happy going to their farms and reaping the dividends of their labour,” he stated.

Olugbemi called on the people of Ondo State and Nigerians to support the continuation of the Tinubu administration, arguing that re-electing the president in 2027 would enable the government to consolidate its ongoing programmes and reforms.

The group said it would continue to expand its grassroots structure across the state, with a particular focus on mobilising young people, women, and APC supporters at the ward and community levels ahead of the 2027 presidential election.