……Targets 774 LGAs, women, youths
By Emmanuel Elebeke
The Tinubu Re-Election Action Group (TRAG) says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves re-election, citing what it described as bold reforms and policies, including the removal of fuel subsidy, increased salaries for military personnel, direct allocation of funds to local governments and the student loan scheme.
The National Coordinator of TRAG, Amb. Akinwande Jonathan Oludiya, stated this on Saturday in Abuja during the unveiling of the organisation’s national leadership directory.
Oludiya said the group was focused on taking the Tinubu administration’s achievements to Nigerians and mobilising support for the President’s re-election for another four-year term in the 2027 presidential election.
“People don’t know the importance of the military as a pillar of democracy. It was not long ago that President Tinubu approved a new salary structure for military personnel, something that had not been done by successive governments before him.
“He removed the fuel subsidy. Nobody did that before him, and we cannot blame him for the aftermath of the subsidy removal.
“He approved the direct allocation of funds to local governments, and he cannot be blamed for the failure of governors to implement the law.
“In the area of infrastructure provision, there is no state that has not felt the impact of the administration’s road infrastructure policy,” he said.
Oludiya said the unveiling of the directory marked a major step in TRAG’s grassroots mobilisation strategy aimed at securing the re-election of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He described TRAG as a nationwide political support organisation established to promote peace, responsible political engagement and grassroots participation in support of the Tinubu-Shettima administration.
According to him, the group is an independent support organisation with its own leadership, programmes and organisational structure, while working in alignment with the broader political movement supporting the President.
“TRAG’s vision is to build a strong, united and sustainable grassroots movement capable of connecting communities, leaders and citizens through responsible political engagement and purposeful programmes.
“The organisation has established structures across the six geopolitical zones, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 local government areas. The structure is designed not merely to compile names but to create an effective network for communication, mobilisation and community development,” he said.
Oludiya said the organisation would focus on programmes covering women and youth empowerment, agriculture and food security, cooperative development, small-business opportunities, voter education and grassroots community engagement.
He stressed that political participation should go beyond election periods.
“Politics should not be limited to election periods. It should also be about people, opportunities, participation and community development,” he said.
The National Coordinator said TRAG would continue to communicate government programmes and achievements to citizens, listen to their concerns and encourage peaceful and lawful participation in the democratic process.
He particularly highlighted programmes targeted at women and other grassroots members, saying the organisation was determined to ensure that supporters were not abandoned after elections.
Oludiya said TRAG would adopt what he described as a business-oriented approach to political support, with programmes designed to empower members and cushion economic challenges.
“Women programmes are especially important. We love women, and we love God for you. Women are very, very important and are one of the key pillars of what we are doing,” he said.
He explained that the programmes would provide members with opportunities beyond political mobilisation, including access to government initiatives, entrepreneurship and other empowerment schemes.
The TRAG coordinator said the organisation would interface with ministries, departments and agencies of government to identify programmes and policies capable of benefiting its members and communities.
“We will key into all the ministries. Any programmes or policies that we believe can be good and can help in making Nigeria a better and greater country, we will key into them,” he said.
Oludiya assured members that the organisation would remain committed to them beyond the 2027 election, insisting that there must be “life after the election”.
He said the new approach was informed by the experiences of political supporters who made significant personal sacrifices during previous elections but were left without adequate support afterwards.
According to him, TRAG is determined to ensure that its members benefit from structured programmes and opportunities rather than being treated as disposable political foot soldiers.
“Our strength is from the grassroots. TRAG, foremost, is a local government force,” he said.
He added that the organisation would use its structures to educate voters on government programmes, mobilise support and promote peaceful participation in the democratic process.
Oludiya also disclosed that TRAG emerged from the coming together of four platforms that supported President Tinubu during the 2023 election, but said the new organisation had developed its own distinct identity, programmes and structure.
He said the group was registered and had developed a comprehensive framework for reaching communities across the country.
In his remarks, the National Publicity Secretary of TRAG, Dr Chukha Oniyama, described the unveiling of the organisation’s national leadership directory as a major milestone in its activities.
Oniyama said the event marked the formal activation of the next phase of TRAG’s nationalisation, grassroots mobilisation and strategic engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.
He added that the organisation’s structure would cover the six geopolitical zones, the FCT and all 774 local government areas.
He said TRAG’s message was simple: to continue supporting policies and programmes considered beneficial to Nigerians while strengthening partnerships and grassroots engagement.
Oniyama expressed confidence that the group’s structures, programmes and grassroots mobilisation would contribute significantly to its objective of securing greater support for President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima in the 2027 presidential election.
The high point of the event was the investiture of some TRAG leaders as ambassadors and the presentation of certificates.
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