The Mandate Group with its head office in Lagos has launched a 40million membership drive aimed at boosting support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President Kashim Shettima. The group was created in the early 1990s as an independent campaign group while Tinubu was the governor of Lagos.
The group played a significant role in ensuring sustained leadership of the Tinubu group in Lagos and in ensuring the incursion of the Tinubu group into other South West States and the subsequent emergence of Tinubu as the President of Nigeria.
At a huge rally held at the Police College ground locate in Ikeja, Lagos the group said it hoped to realise the 40m membership target in the 36 states in the next 12 months.
The group said it is aware of challenges currently facing Nigerians but added that it has received assurances from President Tinubu that in the next few months, the economy would bounce back and the country would regain her strength and fortunes.
The group described the current situation as a process of ‘removing the landmines’ in order to clear the route to stability and prosperity of Nigeria.
‘This is a historic gathering. We are proud of thousands of people that have gathered here today to mark the 31 years after the annulment of June 12 election. On this occasion, we hereby launch the 40m membership drive in the 36 states and Abuja. The membership mobilisation will move with the speed of light,’ Hon Ayinde Abdulllahi Enilolobo, the leader of the group told thousands of people that gathered at Ikeja for the rally.
Newly recruited members of the group came from across the 36 states to grace the event.
He said further ‘We announce here to the world that the Mandate Group has put in place the structure in all the 36 states of the Federation. We started in Lagos as a pro-democracy movement. From the month of July, 2024, the Mandate Forum new New Ageda is to begin the launching of state chapters in the 36 states of the Federation. At present the Mandate Group has 580,000 members in Lagos.’
He said the National Mobilisation Strategy is to have 40 million members across the 36 states of the Federation in the next 12 months adding that already contacts have been established with the 36 states and very soon, the leadership would begin the launching of the state chapters.
‘The Mandate Group will mobilise students, workers, artisans, teachers, fishermen and men in the creeks, nomads in the Savanah, farmers in the Middle Belt, workers in the industrial plains. The mission is to defend the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima and to defend democracy. The Mandate Group has thus assumed the status of a National Movement for the defence of democracy and for the promotion of unity, justice and liberty in Nigeria.’
He said ‘President Tinubu is the first leader that was not a product of the clique that has ruled Nigeria since 1960. He is a product of radical and progressive struggle. It is the first time Nigeria is being led by a product of pro-democracy movement in Nigeria.We have the historic responsibility to mobilise support for him all over the country.’
He said the Mandate Group is not targeting only members of All Progressives Congress, (APC) but non-party members. ‘We are not looking at registered APC members alone, we target students, workers, artisans, fishermen and women from across the country. Enilolobo also announced the launching of an endowment fund that would be used to empower members to enhance their economic wellbeing.
The crowd cause traffic slowdown for most part of the morning hours as thousands of people dressed in white with yellow cap and headgear stormed the vast venue for the event. Leaders of All Progressives Congress,(APC) from across the country attended the event.
At the event, APC chieftain Prince Wale Arogundade said ‘I am delighted to speak to you on this great day marking the One Year Anniversary of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which coincides with the 31st Anniversary of the June 12 election annulment.’
He said June 12 is a unique day in the history of Nigeria.
‘As we celebrate the June 12 Anniversary, we also remember the historic contributions of the current President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We recall the exceptional sacrifices made by Tinubu to the bitter struggle for democracy in the tough campaign to install democracy in the dark ages of Nigerian history,’ Arogundade said.
Speaking on June 12 Enilolobo ‘Let me say that of all the activists that fought the June 12 election, President Tinubu stood out as a colossus. He risked his life, he sold his properties, he was hunted by the most vicious dictator in Nigerian history. A price was placed on his head. At the fullness of time, he won the battle alongside his comrades for the greatness of Nigeria, for the freedom of you and me, for the liberty of all, poor and rich, armed and defenceless people alike.’
Listing the achievements of Tinubu the Mandate Group said Nigeria still faces very difficult challenges but that the striking intervention of the President in certain areas in the past one year cannot be denied.
He listed some of these striking achievements are:
The students’ loan remains a milestone which has seen more than 60,000 applications from poor and indigent students from across the country.
The construction of the Lagos-Calabar Highway: This will no doubt open up business potentials in Nigeria. No fewer than 50,000 Nigerians are expected to be direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project. The highway is the first phase while the second phase is the Calabar-Enugu highway and the Lagos Sokoto highway.
Establishing probity in the Central Bank. For the first time, the CBN is being sanitised and made to be accountable to Nigerians. In the past few years, we have seen the politicisation of monetary policies in Nigeria. We have seen the CBN assuming the status of commercial banks while usurping the traditional roles of conventional banks.
The group praised the President for the gradual stability in the Oil sector: Under this regime, we have seen massive investment in the oil sector to checkmate oil theft. For instance, you have taken a bolder intervention to prevent oil theft and oil vandalisation in the past one year.
‘There has been a remarkable stability in oil production, peace and sustainable development in the Niger-Delta.This year alone, over N5billion worth of crude oil have been recovered from oil thieves while no fewer than 89 illegal refinery sites have been discovered. Suspects have been arrested.’
He said in the past few months, your efforts have helped the country to recover stolen crude worth over 1billion dollars which represents a significant input into Nigerian economy.
‘Very soon the Port Harcourt and Warri Refineries will be fully operational. These are landmarks that stand out President Tinubu as the best President Nigeria ever had since 1999 judging from the first one year anniversary of the regime.’
The group called on Nigerians from all works of life, to stand up and ensure the defence of democracy for prosperity of Nigeria and for a greater future for the continent of Africa.
