Former Nasarawa State Governor and Renewed Hope Zonal Ambassador for the North Central, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has urged northern youth leaders to intensify grassroots mobilisation and promote President Bola Tinubu’s policies and reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Al-Makura gave the charge when the Traditional Youth Forum of Nigeria, an organisation comprising youth leaders across emirates and chiefdoms in Northern Nigeria, paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Jabi, Abuja.

During the visit, the forum pledged to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election, citing the administration’s interventions in youth development, including the student loan initiative.

The forum’s National Chairman and spokesperson, Barrister Aliyu Shehu Yusuf, said the organisation had decided to identify with the administration to protect the interests of young people and give them a stronger voice in governance.

“Even though we are an apolitical organisation, having experienced neglect over the years, we have decided to identify with a government that has the interest of the youth. The government of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has therefore offered us that hope, and we have unanimously accepted to work with him ahead of the 2027 general elections,” Yusuf said.

He described Al-Makura as a political father and champion of the Renewed Hope agenda, adding that the forum considered it necessary to seek his support as it prepared to mobilise young people for the president’s re-election.

“We have come today to show our support to you. Please tell Mr President to go and sleep, as we will go all over the country to propagate his good works,” he said.

Yusuf said the student loan scheme and other government interventions had influenced the forum’s decision to support Tinubu, insisting that the endorsement was voluntary.

“Mr President has done a lot of things for youths in this country, from the student loan initiative and a lot of other interventions too numerous to mention. We are therefore going to be the mouthpiece of Mr President in propagating his achievements,” he said.

He added that the organisation had not committed itself to any other political party and was determined to rally support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

Responding, Al-Makura thanked the youth leaders for their endorsement, saying their involvement in political engagement and national development offered hope for the future.

The former governor, who recalled his participation in youth politics during the era of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), said the forum’s commitment would support his responsibilities as the Renewed Hope Zonal Ambassador for the North Central.

He explained that the Renewed Hope initiative was designed to enlighten Nigerians on the administration’s policies, explain the rationale behind its decisions and communicate its achievements since assuming office in 2023.

“One of the thrusts and rationale behind the creation of Renewed Hope is the enlightenment, dissemination and justification of the actions, policies and activities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Al-Makura acknowledged that some of the administration’s economic reforms had imposed initial difficulties on Nigerians but maintained that they were necessary to achieve long-term economic stability and prosperity.

He specifically defended the removal of petrol subsidy, arguing that it had redirected resources to government coffers for investment in infrastructure and other development priorities.

The former governor cited the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the proposed Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the Abuja-Nasarawa-Plateau-Bauchi-Gombe highway corridor as examples of projects expected to improve trade, connectivity and security along their routes.

He urged Nigerians to assess the administration’s economic policies within the context of their long-term objectives and exercise patience as the reforms continued.

“What we solicit from the electorate is their understanding and patience for these reforms and initiatives to succeed,” he said.

Al-Makura expressed optimism that Nigerians would appreciate the administration’s efforts by the end of Tinubu’s second term, should he secure re-election.

He called on the youth leaders to take the message of the administration’s policies and programmes to their respective communities and collaborate with the six Renewed Hope zonal ambassadors to strengthen grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.

Describing Tinubu as central to Nigeria’s development aspirations, Al-Makura declared: “Asiwaju is the subject, project and solution of Nigeria.”

The courtesy visit was attended by executives and stakeholders of the Traditional Youth Forum, All Progressives Congress stakeholders, traditional rulers, journalists, friends and associates of the president.