2027: Federal Agency CEOs Mobilise 100,000 Supporters for Tinubu’s Re-election Bid
The Forum of CEOs of Federal Government Parastatals (FORCEPA) says it has mobilised more than 100,000 supporters for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign kick-off in Kaduna on Saturday, as it declared support for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s re-election bid in 2027.
The forum, comprising more than 500 chief executives of federal agencies and parastatals, also pledged to mobilise 10 million votes for the presidential ticket, citing policy continuity and the need to consolidate the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
FORCEPA Chairman, Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, where he said members had been deployed to Kaduna to coordinate mobilisation and engage stakeholders ahead of the campaign event.
“We have decided, as a group comprising over 500 CEOs across the country, to lend our support to the re-election of Mr President. In view of this, we have decided to mobilise over 100,000 supporters for the presidential campaign kick-off in Kaduna on Saturday,” Raji said.
He argued that the Tinubu administration deserved a second term, describing FORCEPA as a platform for harnessing the institutional experience and networks of federal agency heads to promote awareness of government policies and programmes.
The forum also defended the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidies, describing the measures as difficult but necessary steps towards strengthening public finances, attracting investment and laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
However, Raji acknowledged the economic difficulties confronting households and businesses, stressing that the success of the reforms would ultimately depend on their ability to generate employment, raise incomes and improve living standards.
“The next phase of national transformation should consolidate progress, address implementation challenges and translate economic stabilisation into more tangible improvement in the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Local processing policy projected to create 1.2m jobs
The forum projected that a proposed policy requiring local value addition to raw materials before export could generate at least 1.2 million jobs within one to two years of implementation.
According to Raji, the proposed framework envisages a minimum of 30 per cent value addition to raw materials before they are exported.
He said the proposal had undergone executive and legislative processes, including reviews involving the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly.
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Raji argued that processing commodities such as cocoa locally would stimulate manufacturing, expand employment opportunities, reduce dependence on imported finished products and ease pressure on foreign exchange demand.
The projected 1.2 million jobs, however, represent an anticipated outcome of the proposed policy rather than employment already created.
CEOs defend reforms, highlight economic interventions
The federal agency chiefs also cited government-backed entrepreneurship initiatives, student loan programmes and innovation support schemes as evidence of efforts to widen economic opportunities.
One of the officials said his agency, which operates in 58 locations nationwide, had supported more than 100,000 entrepreneurs since its establishment in 1993.
He further claimed that nearly 300 young Nigerian innovators had travelled to London to present their ideas to international investors, with the government reportedly covering their travel, accommodation and feeding expenses.
On the rising cost of living and building materials, the officials acknowledged continuing financial pressures on households but maintained that expanding domestic production could reduce import dependence and exposure to exchange-rate fluctuations.
They cited Nigeria’s cement manufacturing industry as an example of how local production could strengthen domestic industrial capacity and reduce reliance on imported products.
The officials also argued that savings from petrol subsidy removal had created fiscal room for interventions, including student loans and conditional cash transfers. They nevertheless urged journalists to scrutinise how the savings were being deployed and assess the measurable impact of the programmes.
They pointed to improvements in foreign reserves and relative stability in the naira as indicators of progress, while admitting that the gains had yet to translate into sufficient relief for many Nigerians.
The forum maintained that addressing the country’s structural economic challenges would require sustained policy implementation, citing Lagos State’s development experience as an example of the potential benefits of long-term planning and policy continuity.
FORCEPA pledges accountability, peaceful mobilisation
Raji said FORCEPA would strengthen coordination among federal agencies, improve public understanding of government programmes and promote accountability in the implementation of public policies.
He added that the ultimate test of the administration’s economic agenda would be its measurable impact on employment, household incomes, industrial growth and citizens’ welfare.
The chairman urged members and supporters to remain united, disciplined and peaceful throughout the electioneering period, describing the planned Kaduna mobilisation as a demonstration of the forum’s commitment to Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The forum concluded with its campaign message: “One good term deserves another. Continuity for consolidation, leadership for transformation, renewal for a greater Nigeria.”
