The Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation has set a target of reaching at least 15 million Nigerians affected by hunger and economic hardship as it intensifies grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The organisation also gave its newly inaugurated North Central state coordinators two weeks to compile lists of house-to-house canvassers and polling unit agents to strengthen its campaign structures across the region.
The Director-General of the Makinde/Daura Campaign Organisation (MDCO), Felix Hassan Hyat, gave the directives on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the coordinators, urging them to take the message of the presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde, to households across their respective states.
Hyat said the campaign’s success would depend on its ability to establish a strong presence at polling units, wards, local government areas and state levels.
He stressed that effective grassroots engagement was critical to securing voters’ support, urging the coordinators to work closely with party leaders and candidates.
“Our mandate is to go to where the people are and share the most important product we have in Nigerian politics today: our presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde,” he said.
Describing the Makinde/Daura ticket as a promising political combination, Hyat called for unity, sacrifice and effective coordination among campaign officials.
He also emphasised the importance of recruiting competent polling unit agents, noting that their effectiveness would be crucial to the campaign’s performance on election day.
The campaign director-general criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of concentrating political power at the expense of ordinary Nigerians. He also alleged that some elected representatives had failed to protect the interests of their constituents.
Hyat urged the coordinators to extend their mobilisation efforts to rural communities and urban centres, saying voters should have the opportunity to make informed decisions about the country’s leadership.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of Operations, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, charged the newly inaugurated coordinators to take ownership of the campaign’s message, describing them as field commanders responsible for communicating Makinde’s agenda to Nigerians.
Aziegbemi said the campaign would focus on four key areas: the economy, education, security and the country’s socio-political system.
He accused the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government of worsening poverty through its economic policies, arguing that the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira had contributed to rising living costs.
Citing figures he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics, Aziegbemi claimed that 35 million Nigerians went to bed hungry every night.
He said the campaign intended to reach at least 15 million people affected by hunger and poverty, adding that a Makinde/Daura administration would prioritise food security and measures to improve the living conditions of vulnerable citizens.
“Our job is pretty straightforward and simple. We need to reach at least 15 million of those hungry people who go to bed hungry every night,” he said.
Aziegbemi directed the coordinators to begin compiling the names of house-to-house canvassers and polling unit agents immediately, giving them two weeks to submit the lists for review.
Responding on behalf of the state directors, Kogi State Director of the campaign organisation, Usman Danladi Ibrahim, pledged that the coordinators would commence work immediately after returning to their respective states.
Ibrahim said the appointees had grassroots political experience and were familiar with the communities they had been assigned to cover.
He, however, called for adequate logistical support to enable them to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
He said the campaign would engage Nigerians on the economic and security challenges confronting the country while presenting the Makinde/Daura ticket as its proposed alternative.
Ibrahim assured the campaign leadership of the coordinators’ commitment to expanding the organisation’s grassroots presence ahead of the 2027 general election.
