Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement North Central Dr. Abiodun Essiet, on Thursday led the inauguration of the executive committee for the Yoruba FCT Forum in Abuja, a newly formed political advocacy group that pledged to marshal grassroots support for the re‑election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Speaking alongside co‑chair Dr. Adebayo Benjamin Laniyi, Dr. Essiet positioned the forum as a local arm of what he described as the Renewed Hope Agenda, the administration’s flagship political and policy narrative.
The group announced a ₦5 million donation to the FCT Renewed Hope Ambassadors Team and said it had disbursed ₦50,000 each to 50 market women—an initiative its leaders framed as economic empowerment for informal traders and small business owners.
“The forum’s programme demonstrates our commitment to inclusive development and grassroots mobilization,” Dr. Essiet said.
She added that, “We will work across communities in the FCT to broaden support for President Tinubu’s re‑election bid.”
The inauguration drew a broad cross‑section of political and community figures, including the FCT chairman of the All Progressives Congress, the party’s FCT woman leader, the Renewed Hope FCT ambassador, elected local councillors, Yoruba traditional rulers from around the Federal Capital Territory, and leaders from the Yoruba Agbe‑Koya Community.
Women’s, youth and religious leaders also attended, underscoring the forum’s aim to build a multi‑sectoral support base.
Organizers thanked Barrister Seyi Tinubu, the forum’s patron, for what they called steadfast support for the group and its members in the FCT.
The presence of high‑profile local party officials signaled the forum’s integration into the APC’s local organizing apparatus ahead of the 2027 contest.
NewsQuest reports that the formation of ethnically‑focused advocacy groups is a familiar feature of Nigerian electoral politics, where community networks and targeted economic gestures can translate into mobilized votes.
Leaders of the Yoruba FCT Forum said they will roll out community engagement activities in the coming months, focusing on mobilization, voter education and small‑scale economic interventions for traders and artisans across the territory.
The group also said further fundraising and outreach plans will be announced as the 2027 election cycle approaches.
