Federal Agencies CEOs Mobilise 100,000 Supporters For Tinubu’s Campaign Kick-off Saturday

The Forum of Chief Executive Officers of Federal Government Parastatals (FORCEPA) has mobilized more than 100,000 individuals to attend the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign launch in Kaduna on Saturday, backing President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima's reelection in January 2027. Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji, the forum's chairman, stated that the initiative aims to support policy continuity and consolidate the administration's program called Renewed Hope Agenda.

The organization, composed of over 500 CEOs from federal agencies and parastatals, pledged to mobilize 10 million votes for Tinubu and Shettima. The Kaduna event will see members coordinate support and engage stakeholders prior to the campaign launch. FORCEPA advocates for the economic reforms undertaken by the Tinubu administration, including the removal of petrol subsidies, seeing them as necessary steps to strengthen public finances and stimulate long-term growth.

However, the forum acknowledges the hardships faced by households and businesses due to these measures and emphasizes the importance of delivering jobs, higher incomes, and improved living standards. The group projects that local value addition to raw materials before export could generate 1.2 million jobs within one to two years of implementation.

FORCEPA also highlighted efforts in entrepreneurship support, student loans, and innovation programs, with one agency supporting over 100,000 entrepreneurs since its inception. Despite acknowledging ongoing challenges such as the rising cost of living, the officials argue that increased domestic production could alleviate import dependence and exposure to exchange-rate fluctuations.

They cite cement manufacturing as an example of how local production could strengthen the economy. The officials also noted that savings from petrol subsidy removal have allowed for interventions like student loans and conditional cash transfers, urging journalists to scrutinize the utilization of these funds and assess their impact.