2027: Support Groups And Tunji-Ojo’s Octopus Arms In Ondo Politics
written by Bolu-Olu Esho
It’s a known fact that the country is currently going through a difficult time due to the activities of insurgents.
While President Bola Tinubu is working hard to wriggle the nation out of the festering challenge, some loyalists are busy strategising for his reelection.
In Ondo State, many people have joined the train as they collaborate with politicians to strategise and position themselves in deciding who should be their political representatives in the next general elections.
When different groups began to spring up in the state, they seized the opportunity to join these groups, which are not political parties.
Criteria set for joining these support groups are devoid of political interest. The groups are more populated by people without political leanings.
They joined groups because they were offered opportunities to benefit from the people-oriented programmes reeled out to them.
It’s incontrovertible that the economic reforms are having harsh impact on the citizens and the empowerment programmes of these groups are meant to cushion the effects of the reforms.
Some of these groups are formed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo through his political associates and followers.
The groups are the Tunji-Ojo’s octopus arms encircling all the 203 wards in the state and dragging into the fold of the President all political influencers and their followers ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
For instance, Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT) has consistently occupied the media space, exploring all available categories of information disseminating platforms to engage the people of the state on breakthroughs recorded by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
The state is awash by billboards, sign posts, radio, television and newspaper adverts highlighting achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The strategy employed by these groups would tempt any political strategist to believe they’re powered by emerging political strategists that could appropriately be described as “pentecostal politicians.”
They’re familiar with the people’s challenges and expectations. Solving or ameliorating these challenges has been the preoccupation of these groups as they rolled out and continue to implement direct impactful initiatives targeted at the people who truly desire them.
For those with health challenges, including eye defects, the Jingi Asiwaju Medical Outreach has provided free healthcare services to thousands of residents across all the federal constituencies in the state.
Talent hunt and empowerment of newly discovered budding stars in sporting activities are taken care of by the sports desk of the group that’s currently organising Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Sports Festival which has attracted massive participation statewide.
From the prayer warriors’ desk of the group, it’s a known fact to the people of the state that consistent intercessory programmes by the GMT Women’s Forum are organised where special prayer sessions for Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are set aside. Such a session held on Thursday in Oka- Akoko.
It was observed that different groups have peculiar areas designated to them with single focus of wooing more people into the fold of President Tinubu in order to mop up votes in all the 203 wards in the state in 2027.
The groups are placed in the hands of individual political skimmers who are well known to the people of the state by their palatable antecedents.
For instance, Sunshine Grassroots Network (SGN), full of all new defectors to All Progressives Congress (APC), is led by Dayo Awude, the Labour Party Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2024 election in the state.
They’re mainly former members of Labour Party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), who defected to APC.
They had organised two major defection programmes during which Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, the immediate past Publicity Secretary of PDP, led many PDP members to join APC.
Peretei’s defection has remained one of the most devastating incidents that happened to the PDP camp in recent time.
SGN has wooed the Non Indigenes Association (NIA) into the fold as well. Investigations revealed that many people joined the groups because they discovered Tunji-Ojo was the brain behind them.
The Interior Minister has started the crusade for preparing a solid launchpad for President Tinubu to sweep the votes across the polling units in the state earlier than ever.
Stylishly and in line with the dictates of the Electoral Act, the groups are not campaigning but rather attending to people’s challenges, particularly at the grassroots.
Politicians from other political parties in the state currently appear docile in terms of helping the very poor who live around them.
It’s commonplace to see emergency philanthropists storming the state when elections are approaching. They give out cash gifts, food items, among others, seizing the occasion to declare their political ambitions.
Whatever they give is in exchange for the people’s votes. Some are so mean that only people with voter cards benefit from their philanthropic gesture.
Prince Ademola Adegoroye recently launched another support group in Akure, Tinubu Support Group (TSG). He’s the Director General of the group in the state.
The former Minister of State (Transportation) has continued to push for the President as he moves round the 18 local government areas of the state.
The group is also festering as it’s been launched at the local government level with many people moving into the group.
A former Chief of Staff and younger brother of the late Governor Olusegun Agagu, Pastor Femi Agagu was also rumoured to be the Director-General of the PBAT Continuity Project (PCP) in the state.
Another group, Progressive Network for Tinubu (PNT) is said to be led by one Pastor Olumide Obadele. There are many of these groups, including Sunshine Grassroots Network (SGN), BTO for PBAT Support Group, all working towards ensuring a smooth sail for President Tinubu in the next general elections.
Investigations revealed that the Interior Minister is behind no fewer than six support groups in the state preparing the way for Mr. President.
Political analysts described as apt the decision of the Interior Minister to push out multiple groups to gather people for Mr. President.
They noted that the strategy is meant to ensure no one is left out in the move to prepare for who gets the people’s mandate in the 2027 presidential election.
One of them said if someone is not at home with the leadership of a particular group, such a person has the opportunity to join another one.
She said people are provided with many groups to choose from and benefit from their life-changing programmes.
As these groups continue to solve people’s problems, they’re gradually becoming household names in the state.
Pundits noted that it would be easier for these groups to sell their candidate to the people who are within their fold without campaigning which would place the candidate in a better position above other candidates when the election season comes.
They further explained that winning the people’s heart at the time of their challenges, by providing succour to them, makes the groups’ philanthropic gestures more genuine.
One of the analysts, who had been resident in the state for years, disclosed that the current approach adopted is unprecedented in the state.
He said in the past, support groups usually emerged within political parties and members of such groups were usually party members only.
According to him, such support groups didn’t have designed programmes for members and outsiders. Their major focus was supporting a particular aspirant or candidate who’s usually the sponsor of such a group.
But the sponsors of these groups are not contesting in any elective positions in the 2027 election in the state but rather championing the course of President Bola Tinubu.
The pundit stated that the issue of sponsorship also makes the current support groups unique in the sense that President Tinubu knows nothing about the creation and funding of the groups.
Nevertheless, analysts said the groups must not deviate from their present styles of winning people’s mind if they want their dreams to see the light of day.
They also noted that the performance of President Tinubu, particularly in areas of security and economy, would count a lot in determining his fate at the polls in 2027.
