The Okanlomo Oodua and Gbonka Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi, has declared his total commitment to mobilising grassroots support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, in the 2027 general elections.
Sanusi made the declaration during the inauguration of the Tinubu Torch Bearers, an initiative launched in Oyo State in support of President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. The event was organised in the presence of prominent political leaders, traditional rulers, community leaders, women leaders and supporters of the APC.
The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, was represented at the occasion by the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Speaking at the event, Chief Sanusi said his political support structure, comprising more than 50,000 members of various JDS Support Groups, would be deployed across communities and wards in Oyo State to mobilise voters and strengthen grassroots support for the APC.
He stressed that the 2027 election would require sustained grassroots engagement, direct contact with voters and a well-coordinated mobilisation structure capable of reaching communities across the state.
According to him, the JDS Support Groups would work tirelessly to take the message of the APC and its candidates to the grassroots, insisting that the political future of Oyo State would be determined by the collective decision of the people at the polling units.
Sanusi reaffirmed his support for President Tinubu, describing the 2027 presidential election as an opportunity for Nigerians to consolidate on the policies and programmes of the administration.
He also expressed confidence in Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC governorship candidate, urging party members and supporters across Oyo State to unite behind his candidacy.
The occasion attracted an array of political and community leaders, including the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria, Her Excellency Chief Florence Ajimobi; APC National Women Leader, Dr. Mary Alile Idele; APC Oyo State Chairman, Pa Moses Alake; APC Oyo State Women Leader, Dr. (Mrs.) Felicia Adekemi Opatunde, APC Oyo State Governorship Candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli; Deputy Governorship Candidate, Hon. Soji Adedeji; Oyo South Senatorial Candidate, Hon. Aderemi Oseni; and Oyo North Senatorial Candidate, Chief Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunesan.
Others in attendance included traditional rulers and prominent Ibadan leaders, members of the Association of Ibadan Mogajis, Baales from Ibadanland, Iyaloja Saratu Aduke, President of the Yoruba Youth Council, Mogaji Alawode Rahmon Akintunde, members of the JDS Support Groups, ROCOF and other APC stakeholders and political support groups.
The mobilisation, according to Sanusi, is expected to extend beyond political gatherings to sustained grassroots engagement across local government areas, wards and communities.
He called on members of the JDS Support Groups and APC supporters to remain united, disciplined and committed to the campaign, assuring that the structures under his leadership would continue to engage with the people at the grassroots.
Sanusi maintained that the objective was clear: to build a formidable grassroots movement capable of delivering overwhelming support for President Tinubu and Senator Sharafadeen Alli in the 2027 elections.
He said the mobilisation would be anchored on community engagement, voter awareness and peaceful political participation, while urging supporters to conduct themselves responsibly throughout the electoral process.
The inauguration of the Tinubu Torch Bearers therefore provided another platform for APC stakeholders and supporters in Oyo State to demonstrate their commitment to the party’s 2027 electoral ambitions.
