2027: Abiodun unveils 50,400 Renewed Hope Apostles, launches grassroots campaign across Ogun

L-R: The Ogun State Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC); Chief Yemi Sanusi, Ogun State Governor; Prince Dapo Abiodun, Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District and aspirant for the 2027 general elections; Senator Shuaib Salisu and the aspirant for Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency in 2027; Hon Adijat Adeleye during a Stakeholders meeting held in Ifo on Wednesday.

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has inaugurated 50,400 grassroots political canvassers, christened Renewed Hope Apostles, across the state as part of an aggressive mobilisation strategy to secure electoral victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

The initiative, which will see the canvassers embark on a coordinated door-to-door campaign across the state’s 236 wards, is designed to deepen grassroots engagement, strengthen the party’s support base and educate voters on the achievements of the APC-led governments at the federal, state and local government levels.

Governor Abiodun disclosed this during a series of strategic meetings with party leaders and stakeholders across the 20 local government areas of the state, attended by local government and ward executives, council chairmen, councillors, governorship and other party candidates, Apex leaders, Governor’s Liaison Officers and political appointees.

The governor explained that the Renewed Hope Apostles would serve as the party’s grassroots communication and mobilisation network, taking verifiable information about government policies, programmes and achievements directly to the electorate.

He said the initiative was particularly important in countering misinformation and ensuring that voters were adequately informed about the impact of government policies on their lives.

“We have called them the Renewed Hope Apostles. They will now begin to propagate so that the people can be better informed because when there is no information, there is misinformation, and that is what we are addressing.

“In the first instance, in Ogun East, we have 15,000 of them, and across the state, we have 50,400. We expect them to multiply and spread the gospel of the party’s performance,” he said.

Abiodun said the canvassers had been carefully selected across the local government areas and organised around polling units to ensure that the mobilisation exercise reached voters at the most immediate level of their communities.

According to him, the recruitment and verification process had taken about three months, with the necessary details of the canvassers compiled and verified to ensure an effective and accountable grassroots mobilisation structure.

He said the exercise would provide an opportunity to properly equip the canvassers with information about the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the Ogun State Government, enabling them to communicate the benefits of the APC’s policies with clarity and conviction.

Highlighting the impact of the Tinubu administration on Ogun State, Abiodun listed the reconstruction of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore Road, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the facilitation of the Gateway Deep Sea Port, the revival of the Ogun LNG project and the establishment of a major Customs facility in the state.

He noted that these projects, alongside other federal interventions, were strengthening Ogun’s economic prospects, attracting investments, creating employment opportunities and consolidating its position as one of Nigeria’s leading industrial destinations.

The governor described the economic and policy decisions taken by President Tinubu as necessary interventions that had helped stabilise the nation’s economy and set it on the path of sustainable growth.

On the achievements of his administration, Abiodun said Ogun State had witnessed significant improvements in infrastructure, housing, education, healthcare, agriculture, energy and economic empowerment.

He disclosed that his administration had constructed more than 1,700 kilometres of roads across the three senatorial districts, rehabilitated and constructed over 1,600 schools, and provided more than 7,000 housing units now occupied by residents.

In the health sector, he said his administration had equipped and upgraded 160 Primary Healthcare Centres as part of its commitment to providing at least one functional primary healthcare facility in each of the state’s 236 wards.

He added that contracts had recently been awarded for the construction of new hospitals at Odogbolu, Isara and Itori, while the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital had been repositioned to improve healthcare delivery.

The governor also announced the completion of the 250-bed Gateway Medical Centre of Excellence in Abeokuta, which he said had been abandoned by previous administrations.

On power infrastructure, Abiodun said his government had established two independent power plants in Abeokuta to support industrial and social activities, while more than 20,000 farmers had benefited from the distribution of agricultural inputs, including pesticides, fertilisers, seedlings and tractors.

He further disclosed that over 60,000 women had been empowered through the Oko Owo Dapo initiative, while cooperative societies and artisans had received more than N1 billion in financial support to expand their businesses.

In the education sector, the governor said over 7,000 teaching personnel had been recruited and deployed to address manpower shortages in public primary and secondary schools.

Abiodun also highlighted his administration’s aviation initiative, noting that beyond the development of a world-class airport, the state had established an airline whose aircraft had commenced international operations from Lagos to Bangui.

The governor charged the Renewed Hope Apostles to approach their assignment with commitment, discipline and a clear understanding of the party’s achievements, stressing that their responsibility was to communicate with voters, address concerns and mobilise support for the APC.

He also called on party leaders and members to close ranks, put aside personal differences and work collectively towards the success of the party in the forthcoming elections.

According to him, political unity and effective coordination at the grassroots remain indispensable to electoral success.

“A divided party cannot win an election. We must work together as a team, strengthen our relationships and ensure that every member understands the importance of this assignment,” he said.

The governor explained that the stakeholder meetings were also intended to strengthen internal party cohesion, review mobilisation strategies and establish a common direction for the party ahead of the elections.

Prominent party leaders, including the State APC Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi; Director-General of the Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, Senator Lekan Mustapha; Deputy Director-General, Dr. Apaye; Ogun East Senatorial Chairman, Chief Adeleke Adedotun; and APC Chairman in Odeda Local Government, Hon. Musulumi Saka, pledged their commitment to the party’s success.

They assured the governor of their readiness to mobilise members and supporters across their respective constituencies in support of President Tinubu, Governor Abiodun and all APC candidates.

The inauguration and stakeholder engagements have so far covered Remo North, Sagamu, Ikenne, Ijebu North East, Ijebu-Ode, Odogbolu, Ijebu East, Ijebu North, Ifo, Ewekoro, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Odeda and Obafemi-Owode local government areas.

The engagements are part of a broader political outreach programme by Governor Abiodun, who has also held consultations with religious organisations, traders, artisans, traditional worshippers, labour leaders and cooperative societies to build wider support for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.