The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has pledged to mobilise 10 million votes from Nigeria’s education sector for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
He declared his readiness to lead a nationwide campaign to secure broad support for the President across the sector.
Alausa made the pledge at the inaugural meeting of lthe APC Presidential Campaign Committee Education Sector Mobilisation Working Group, where he called on members to take the campaign beyond institutions and into communities across the country.
The Working Group is led by Dr. Tunji Alausa as Chairman (Honourable Minister of Education), with Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad serving as Deputy Chairman (Honourable Minister of State for Education) and Dr. Muhammad Sani Idris as Secretary (Executive Secretary, Almajiri and Out-of-School Commission).
Other members of the leadership include Comr. Sunday Asefon (SSAP, Student Engagement); Mr. Adedeji John Demola (Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Political Engagement); Mr. Adebayo Onigbanjo (National Coordinator, Special Programs, Special Programs Operations and Implementation Unit); Dr. Ronke Soyombo (Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria); Prof. Muhammad Dahiru Shuni (Executive Secretary, National Mass Education Commission); Prof. Salisu Shehu (Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council); Dr. Abiola Arogundade (SSAP, Technical and Vocational Education and Training); Dr. Princess Adebowale (National Programme Manager, Home Grown School Feeding); Dare Ojepe (SSAP, Education and Youth Engagement); and Yetunde Adeniji (SSAP, School Feeding).
The Minister said the education sector, with its vast network of students, teachers, lecturers, administrators, governing councils, professional bodies, counsellors and other stakeholders, was strategically positioned to make a significant contribution to the President’s re-election.
“Nigeria needs continuity. This country, this President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has changed the fortunes of Nigeria. It is in our interest, and in the interest of the present and future generations, that we elect him to continue the transformative agenda he has embarked upon in the last three years,” Alausa said.
He stressed that continuity was particularly important because the reforms currently underway require sustained implementation to deliver lasting results.
A second term, he noted, would provide the opportunity to consolidate gains, strengthen the economy, attract investment and create greater opportunities for Nigerians.
Alausa added that the education sector also had a responsibility to support the continuation of reforms that would strengthen human capital development and contribute to the country’s long-term economic growth and national development.
He therefore charged members of the Working Group to engage their various constituencies and build broad-based support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
To strengthen coordination, the Working Group has established sub-groups covering universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, teachers, governing councils, Senior Special Assistants on Education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), counsellors and other key stakeholder groups.
Presidential appointees within the education sector will work with the core Working Group and the various sub-groups to coordinate activities and extend the campaign across the sector.
Alausa said the objective was to turn the education sector’s nationwide reach into a coordinated electoral effort capable of delivering a significant bloc of votes for the President.
“If we work hard, we should be able to mobilise 10 million votes from the education sector alone for Mr. President,” he said.
The Minister urged members to approach the assignment with commitment, teamwork and sustained engagement, stressing that achieving the 10-million-vote pledge would require the collective effort of stakeholders across the education sector.
Alausa reaffirmed his personal commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election, assuring members and supporters that he would personally drive the sector’s campaign effort with determination and work closely with the established structures to pursue the 10-million-vote commitment.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure continuity in the reform process, consolidate economic and institutional gains, and support a Nigeria where sustained reforms translate into greater economic opportunities, stronger human capital and improved prospects for citizens.
