Amid rising insecurity, Oluremi Tinubu gifts cars to APC women leaders as re-election mobilisation begins

• Oluremi Tinubu launched the Tinubu Torchbearers, a new APC mobilisation group aimed at promoting President Tinubu's policies and strengthening grassroots support ahead of 2027.

• The First Lady announced the donation of personal vehicles to APC women leaders in Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Osun and Oyo states to support their grassroots activities.

• APC officials said the initiative will focus on voter education, advocacy and civic engagement across Nigeria, while critics have questioned the timing amid ongoing insecurity and economic challenges.

Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched a new political mobilisation platform, the Tinubu Torchbearers (TTB), as efforts gradually build ahead of President Bola Tinubu's expected 2027 re-election campaign.

The initiative was unveiled on Wednesday at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where APC women leaders and party stakeholders from different parts of the country gathered.

Speaking at the event, the First Lady urged women within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to become ambassadors of the administration's policies and achievements, taking the message of the government's Renewed Hope Agenda to communities across Nigeria.

“Women are the heartbeat of our communities. I charge every Tinubu Torchbearer to tell our story, clearly, respectfully and relentlessly,” she said.

According to her, the Tinubu Torchbearers movement is built around service, patriotism and collective responsibility, with women expected to play a leading role in grassroots mobilisation.

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s victory, Obi’s heartbreak: Shocking 2027 prophecy sparks political debate

She said ongoing reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration in key sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, education, security and job creation require stronger public engagement and awareness.

“We did not come to occupy offices for namesake. President Tinubu set out to reposition Nigeria with bold reforms,” she said.

Tinubu added that grassroots structures such as the TTB would help bridge the gap between government policies and ordinary Nigerians by ensuring people understand the objectives and impact of ongoing reforms.

One of the major highlights of the event was her announcement that she would personally provide vehicles to APC women leaders in Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Osun and Oyo states.

“These vehicles are for you as individuals. Register them in your name. They are not party property,” she told the beneficiaries.

The gesture has already drawn attention online, with critics questioning the timing amid growing concerns over insecurity, kidnappings and economic hardship in several parts of the country.

APC National Women Leader, Dr. Mary Alile Idele, described the Tinubu Torchbearers initiative as a strategic platform that would strengthen mobilisation efforts across Nigeria's 774 local government areas. She said the group would focus on voter education, advocacy and civic participation at the grassroots level.

READ ALSO: Petrol Drops Below ₦1,300 as Dangote Refinery Cuts Depot Prices

Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, also addressed participants, highlighting reforms being pursued by her ministry. She said efforts were ongoing to improve child protection, tackle child marriage and expand economic opportunities for women.

She further disclosed that a proposed universal cash grant programme for children was currently undergoing technical design and review.

Representing APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the party's Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Benjamin Nwoye, said the Tinubu Torchbearers would serve as an important platform for increasing public support for the administration's policies and programmes.

The launch comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gradually gain momentum, with political parties and interest groups beginning to strengthen grassroots structures across the country.