2027: Yoruba group rallies Nigerians behind Tinubu

…Urges National Unity Amid Security, Economic Challenges

By Adeola Badru

A Yoruba socio-development organisation, the Majeobaje Community Development Initiative, has declared full support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid, urging Nigerians to unite behind his administration as the country grapples with security threats and economic reforms.

Speaking at a press conference in Ibadan on Monday, the group’s representative, Chief Akintayo Akin-Deko, said Nigeria must close ranks to confront forces undermining its stability. He traced the deterioration of insecurity to 2014, noting that attacks had escalated to widespread killings by IPOB gunmen, bandits, and terrorists by 2019.

Akin-Deko warned that the security crisis had attracted international concern, including claims of jihadist infiltration and alleged foreign threats of intervention. He insisted the challenges required Nigerians to “stand firm and wholeheartedly embrace the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Despite misgivings expressed before the 2023 elections, Akin-Deko said Tinubu had displayed “bold and technocratic leadership,” addressing longstanding structural issues. He described the President as a trained accountant, former multinational executive and “a problem-solver” who understands the fundamentals of governance and foreign investment.

Akin-Deko noted that Majeobaje—comprising farmers, professionals, business leaders and scholars—had consistently advocated good governance and regional development. He said Tinubu’s policies aligned with the organisation’s priorities, adding that “detractors of the administration are pushing back hard.”

On economic reforms, the group defended the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, arguing that although the measures caused hardship, they prevented national bankruptcy and expanded government revenue. He cited the sharp rise in FAAC allocations—from N655 billion in April 2023 to N2.1 trillion in September 2025—as evidence of progress.

According to him, this “financial windfall” provided state governors and local councils with unprecedented resources to deliver development projects, while the N6.9 trillion budgeted for constituency projects in 2025 represented “the most targeted funding Nigerians have ever had.” He stressed, however, that citizens must hold public officials accountable.

Akin-Deko also highlighted the significance of the South-West Development Commission (SWDC), signed into law in March 2025 with a ₦674 billion takeoff fund, saying it would strengthen regional growth and deepen federalism.

He accused “economic saboteurs and their foreign backers” of resisting reforms and urged Nigerians to avoid actions that could derail current gains. On security, he criticised past administrations for weak responses, citing incidents such as the arrest of Iskilu Wakili in 2021 and the 2022 massacre in Owo, Ondo State, as examples of earlier failures.

He also condemned occasions where security agents were accused of colluding with criminals, and faulted the former Inspector-General of Police for banning shotguns for licensed hunters while armed herders operated freely.

Akin-Deko said the Tinubu administration had taken decisive steps, increasing defence spending from N1.55 trillion in 2023 to N6.57 trillion in 2025, recruiting more personnel and restructuring security agencies for improved coordination. He credited the revamped National Forest Guards and their state-level units with boosting surveillance and response capacity.

Responding to recent comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump alleging genocide against Christians in Nigeria, the group described the claims as “prejudicial and exaggerated,” warning that foreign powers often deployed such narratives as a pretext for interference.

He, however, said the remarks provided an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect, foster unity, and pursue national reconciliation grounded in fairness and justice.

Akin-Deko urged tougher action against terrorists and their sponsors, including individuals named in the UAE report, insisting that “the only effective response to these evil people is uncompromising force.”

He also flagged concerns about youth radicalisation—from almajiri children to militants in the Niger Delta and rising street gangs in the South-West—and called on Nigeria’s allies to intensify support for the fight against insurgency.

The group rejected any talk of coups or foreign intervention, asserting that opposition parties lacked the leadership required at this critical time. It expressed confidence that Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 would enable deeper constitutional reforms through a two-thirds legislative majority.

“We therefore urge Nigerians to embrace President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and, come 2027, support his second-term bid,” Akin-Deko declared.

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