A major political support organisation drawn from northern Nigeria has announced the suspension of its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that may have implications for the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group, known as the Tinubu Vanguard, comprises members from 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
On Monday, it formally declared the withdrawal of its political activities and support for the president, citing alleged neglect, lack of recognition and worsening economic hardship among its members since the APC assumed power.
The decision was disclosed by the Director-General of the Tinubu Vanguard, Hon. Kamilu Abdullahi Abubakar Maiganji, during a meeting of the group attended by journalists.
Maiganji said the gathering was convened to assess the group’s relationship with the APC-led administration nearly two years after the 2023 general elections.
According to him, the Tinubu Vanguard invested significant time, energy and personal resources in promoting the candidacy of President Tinubu and the APC across northern Nigeria during the last election cycle.
He said the group played a strategic role in grassroots mobilisation, particularly in Kano State and other parts of the North, where it ran sustained radio and television programmes aimed at shaping public opinion in favour of the party.
“Our efforts were focused on mobilising the grassroots and creating awareness,” Maiganji said.
“We went on air consistently, engaging people in their local languages and encouraging them to believe in the party and its candidate.”
Maiganji noted that the group did not seek financial inducements or political appointments in return for its support. Rather, he said its requests to the party and government were limited to basic logistics such as venues, security and accommodation for invited guests—requests he claimed were ignored.
“We did not ask for money. We only requested a venue, security and accommodation for invited guests, but none was provided,” he stated.
Despite the lack of institutional support, Maiganji said the group went ahead to organise and fund its official launch in Kano through contributions from its members.
He added that the event attracted wide participation and reinforced the group’s belief that it made a meaningful contribution to the APC’s electoral success in the region.
However, he lamented that since the elections, the Tinubu Vanguard has felt abandoned by the party it helped to promote.
He said repeated efforts to engage party leaders and government officials yielded little or no response, while members continued to struggle with rising living costs.
In a symbolic declaration underscoring the group’s decision,
Maiganji announced, “From today, we have dropped the broom,” in reference to the APC’s party symbol.
He clarified that the Tinubu Vanguard has not aligned with any other political party, stressing that the group would remain politically inactive until it identifies a platform that reflects its values of dignity, accountability and development.
Political analysts say the withdrawal of support by organised grassroots groups such as the Tinubu Vanguard highlights growing challenges facing the APC as political alignments begin to shift ahead of the 2027 elections.
They note that such groups often play a key role in shaping local narratives and mobilising voters, particularly in northern Nigeria.
As the next election cycle approaches, observers say the Tinubu administration and the APC leadership may face increasing pressure to re-engage with support groups and party loyalists who feel sidelined after the polls.
Whether the Tinubu Vanguard’s decision will trigger reconciliation or further defections remains to be seen.
