Tinubu Support Group Members Get N10m in Ondo

Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor 

A support group working for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Ondo State has received N10 million to boost its mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections, in a disbursement that underscores the growing intensity of grassroots campaigning in the South-West and the reliance of political movements on financial support to sustain their activities.

The money was presented to members of the group at a ceremony in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, October 11, 2026, according to accounts of the event. The group, identified as the Ondo State chapter of the Tinubu Support Group, said the funds would be used to strengthen its operations across the state's 18 local government areas, including ward-level engagement, transportation and the production of campaign materials. The presentation was witnessed by party leaders, community stakeholders and members of the group from across the state.

A representative of the group, who spoke at the event, said the disbursement would enable members to reach more communities and to communicate the achievements of the Tinubu administration to voters at the grassroots. The representative said the group had been working for months to build support for the President and that the financial boost would help it to expand its reach, particularly in rural areas where access to information is limited. The group also praised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for his support for the President's re-election bid, describing him as a committed ally whose efforts had strengthened the party's position in Ondo State.

Governor Aiyedatiwa has been one of the most vocal supporters of President Tinubu's re-election in the South-West. In recent months, he has hosted political meetings, mobilised party members and endorsed the President's candidacy at public events. In September 2026, he said the people of Ondo State were determined to repay the President for what he described as the federal projects and appointments that the state had benefited from since 2023. He urged residents to support the APC in the presidential election, stressing that continuity would guarantee the completion of ongoing projects and the continuation of policies that had improved the state's economy.

The disbursement comes amid a broader wave of support group activity across the country. The APC Presidential Campaign Council is scheduled to be inaugurated on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, with the formal campaign flag-off in Kaduna on October 24. The campaign will then move to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Maiduguri, Borno State, with the full schedule to be released after the council's inauguration. Support groups have been mobilising in all six geopolitical zones, and the Ondo disbursement is part of that effort. In October 2026, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, donated 25 vehicles to the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement in Kogi State to boost grassroots mobilisation for the President's re-election bid. In the North-Central, governors and party leaders pledged massive support for Tinubu at a rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, targeting 85 per cent of the region's votes.

The N10 million disbursement in Ondo State has drawn mixed reactions. Supporters of the group described the gesture as a welcome development that would energise the campaign at the grassroots. They said the money would be used transparently and would help members to reach communities that had not been fully engaged in previous mobilisation efforts. Critics, however, questioned the source of the funds and the accountability mechanisms in place. Some opposition figures said the disbursement raised questions about the influence of money in politics and the potential for vote buying, a practice that INEC has promised to tackle through joint financial monitoring with the EFCC, ICPC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. The commission has warned that any attempt to trade cash for votes will attract arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026. "Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate's pocket," INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan has said.

The political context of the disbursement is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. Ondo State, as a key South-West state, will be one of the battlegrounds in the presidential contest. The state's support for the APC in previous elections has been strong, but the emergence of the ADC and the NDC as competitive platforms has introduced new dynamics into the political landscape. Governor Aiyedatiwa, who is expected to seek a second term, has aligned himself closely with the President and has urged voters to support the APC at both the federal and state levels.

For the members of the Tinubu Support Group in Ondo State, the N10 million represents both a material boost and a recognition of their role in the campaign. For the opposition, it is a reminder of the financial advantages that incumbency confers. For INEC, it is another test of its capacity to monitor campaign finance and prevent the abuse of money in the electoral process. As the campaign intensifies in the coming weeks, the disbursement of funds to support groups across the country is likely to increase, and the commission's ability to track and regulate such spending will be closely watched. The coming months will determine whether the financial support translates into electoral success for the President in Ondo State and whether the campaign is conducted within the bounds of the law.

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