The All Progressives Congress (APC) South West Zonal Executives Committee has concluded plans to recruit canvassers in all 2,000 electoral wards across all states in the Southwest in preparation for the 2027 presidential election.
The Committee stated this on Wednesday after a meeting in Akure, Ondo State capital, to brainstorm and design programs for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting, attended by the six chairmen of the party in the zone and National Executive Council (NEC) members, aimed to discuss ways to support the President’s re-election bid.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, South West Zonal Chairman of APC, Isaac Kekemeke, said they met to discuss how they would recruit Canvassers in all wards across all states in the Southwest in preparation for the 2027 presidential election.
He explained that the Canvassers would avail the people at the grassroots level and all wards, the efforts and results of President Tinubu’s socio-economic politicises and programmes for the development of the federation.
Kekemeke explained that the committee had assessed and evaluated the economic policies and various programmes being introduced and implemented by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government and discovered that he had done creditably well.
He disclosed that they also based their verdict on the comments and assessments of experts, international organisations and international financial institutions on President Tinubu’s performances across different sectors which were positive.
Kekemeke who said the zonal executives appraised the performances of the President and came to the conclusion that, despite the challenges being faced by Nigerians, President Tinubu had done creditably well, noted that international organisations, financial institutions, and economic experts had given positive assessments of the President’s performances across different sectors.
He said, “The Zonal Executive Committee of All Progressives Congress (APC), which includes the six chairmen of the party in the zone and National Executive Council (NEC) members of the party in the zone met today in Akure and they deliberated extensively on the state of the party in the zone.
“The party set up a committee to work with the coordinating governor of the party in the zone, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and other governors in the zone to organise a rally, an assembly or a congress of the zone which is tentatively scheduled for the end of September.
“A committee has therefore been set up to work out a modality for that congress. Obviously, apart from discussing the activities of the party in the entire zone, the committee would come up with modalities for working for the second term of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
“Our goal is that the Southwest must do to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu electorally what the Northwest consistently did for the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The officers of the zone (Southwest) had decided to appoint canvassers for president Tinubu in all the about 2000 electoral wards in the Southwest zone. We cannot wait because we believe that as the zone of the President, we must lead the crusade for his re-election.
“The zonal executives also appraised the performances of the President and came up with conclusion that, even though the zone recognises the pain of the people, it is convinced that the President has done so well for the people as attested to by the international committee, international financial institutions, economic experts and by all those which you know.
“They are beginning to feel the results of the bold initiative and socio-economic transformation that is happening in Nigeria. Prices of things are beginning to stabilise and coming down, the foreign exchange is coming down, debts are being paid and Nigeria is becoming internationally respectable.
“Nigeria refused under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to become a dumping ground for refugees of some Americans, and Nigeria was respected as one country that stood up to say NO.
“There is international respectability for Nigeria both politically and economically and we think that all of these must be consolidated. There must be consolidation of this tenure so that after President Tinubu’s eight years, Nigeria can continue to march forward.
“We are convinced that the President is the best thing that has happened to our country even though we acknowledge that these reforms have brought about pains that we believe are temporary for our citizens and for the people of the Southwest. We believe that in a not distant time, these pains will pave the way and will give ways to prosperities and peace in our country.”
Speaking on the ongoing coalition being formed by some strong politicians in the country ahead of 2027 presidential election, Kekemeke described the development as one of the requirements of a standard democracy.
He quickly dismissed the brains behind the coalition as politicians who had failed the nation in the past after being given opportunity thrice.
“I think that this coalition is good for our country because a viral opposition is one of the requirements of a standard democracy. So, it’s good that they have come together. But this coalition of politicians cannot win against the coalition of Nigeria and coalition of people who know that President Tinubu at this time is doing the best for our country.
“My view is that this is not a coalition of untested people, they are people that have been tested and have failed, failed and failed. If people have been tested and have failed over time, it will be terrible for Nigerians to abandon someone that is setting Nigeria on the path to greatness and go back to people that have failed.
“They are not people that have not been given a first chance, failed, second chance, failed, and third chance, failed. They are a committee of people who have failed in time past and in the very recent past. They are people who have not been able to accredit themselves credibly well in the areas that they have been asked to work. They are not people who have something to show.”
Kekemeke added, “I will give you an example of what I mean. When we were campaigning for President Tinubu, we had a Lagos record to show. We say that we want President Tinubu to do to Nigeria what he did to Lagos.
“So let this coalition people, each of them, tell us what they did before, that they want to do to Nigeria. And if we now look at what each of them did in their previous offices, they are very undesirable. But it is good that they are adding to the beauty of democracy by trying and pretending to be a viral opposition.”
Fidelis David
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