The pro-Tinubu Igbo group says its partnership with the City Boy Movement will drive grassroots mobilisation and focus on regional development
A pro-Tinubu Igbo socio-political group, Ndigbo for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2027 Forum, has launched a grassroots mobilisation drive targeting 11 million South-East votes for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while seeking to place regional development and economic empowerment at the centre of its campaign.
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The group announced the initiative after members of NDI-ABAT met with Seyi Tinubu, Patron of the City Boy Movement, and other members of the organisation in Abuja last weekend.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, National Coordinator Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Secretary General Dr Ugwuoke Ugwuoke Jr said the partnership marked a fresh phase in the group’s political mobilisation strategy.
NDI-ABAT said the collaboration would enable both organisations to deepen engagement with Ndigbo, young people, business communities and other stakeholders while encouraging political participation based on policies and measurable development outcomes.
The group said it believed the partnership could help it mobilise 11 million votes from the South-East for Tinubu in 2027.
The target would represent a significant shift from the voting pattern recorded in the region during the 2023 presidential election, when the Labour Party’s Peter Obi secured overwhelming support across the five South-East states.
Rather than limiting its activities to conventional political campaigning, NDI-ABAT said it planned to engage communities, business groups, youth organisations and other stakeholders on issues it believes are central to the region’s political and economic interests.
One of its principal demands is the creation of an additional state in the South-East.
The organisation noted that the region remains the only one of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones with five states, arguing that greater administrative representation has remained a longstanding concern among regional stakeholders.
NDI-ABAT said it would continue discussions with the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders on proposals including Aba State and Anioma State, as well as any other option that receives broad acceptance within the region.
Infrastructure delivery is another major component of the group’s proposed engagement.
It said it would push for the completion of ongoing Federal Government infrastructure projects in the South-East between 2026 and 2031, while commending the Tinubu administration and Works Minister Dave Umahi for projects it said could strengthen connectivity and economic activity in the region.
For the group, visible infrastructure delivery will be important in translating political promises into tangible benefits that communities can assess.
Economic empowerment will also feature prominently in the mobilisation campaign, particularly initiatives affecting Igbo youths, traders and entrepreneurs operating within and beyond the South-East.
NDI-ABAT said improved access to economic opportunities and support for small businesses could help build greater confidence between government and citizens.
The organisation also hopes its mobilisation strategy can improve the All Progressives Congress’s electoral performance in areas where the party struggled during the 2023 election.
Its stated ambition extends beyond the South-East to Delta State, Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory, where it believes stronger grassroots engagement could broaden Tinubu’s support base.
The political landscape remains fluid ahead of the 2027 election, with parties and political movements already beginning to organise support networks and court influential voter blocs.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has already commenced preparations for the next general election, although the political environment remains subject to evolving alliances, party realignments and legal developments.
NDI-ABAT said its activities would remain within the bounds of peaceful and democratic participation, urging voters to assess political leaders according to national interest, development, fairness and accountability.
“Political decisions should be guided by national interest, development, fairness, and accountability,” the group said.
The organisation has also unveiled a series of events intended to give its mobilisation campaign a more visible public platform.
It plans to hold the Asiwaju Summit in Asaba, Delta State, on August 31, 2026, followed by an Igbo town hall meeting in Lagos on September 14.
The meetings are expected to focus on political participation, economic empowerment and regional development, while providing opportunities for direct engagement between political organisers and stakeholders.
The partnership with the City Boy Movement adds another layer to the campaign, potentially giving NDI-ABAT access to an established youth-oriented political mobilisation network.
For Tinubu, the effort reflects the broader challenge of expanding his support beyond regions where the APC traditionally has a stronger electoral base.
For NDI-ABAT, however, the campaign is being presented not simply as an electoral exercise but as an attempt to connect political support with specific development demands from the South-East.
The group said it would continue working with the City Boy Movement and other partners to build support for Tinubu while pursuing what it considers the socio-economic and political interests of Ndigbo.
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Its central pitch ahead of 2027 is therefore likely to be tested against one fundamental question: whether promises of infrastructure, economic opportunity and greater political representation can translate into sufficient grassroots support for the President in a region where his party faced a difficult electoral challenge in 2023.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
