By Samuel Sunday
The Director-General of the City Boy Movement Worldwide, Hon. Francis Shoga Oluwatosin, has charged the newly inaugurated Ekiti State executives to take the movement’s mobilisation campaign to communities, wards and polling units as the organisation targets 10 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Shoga gave the charge on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti during the town hall meeting, street engagement and state inauguration of the movement held under the theme “Leaving No One Behind.”
The event brought together local government and ward executives, youth leaders, political stakeholders and other dignitaries.
Shoga said achieving the 10-million vote target would depend on building an active network of Nigerian youths rather than relying on slogans. He disclosed that the movement has been engaging young Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation.
He urged members to move from structure to action, identifying their core responsibilities as organising, informing and mobilising.
“Young Nigerians must stop remaining on the sidelines and become active participants in decisions concerning their future,” he said, charging the Ekiti executives to strengthen their grassroots presence.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Ekiti State Governor on Research and Documentation, Dr. Olufemi Owolabi, who delivered the keynote address, said inclusion would only have meaning when it reaches the grassroots.
Owolabi said politics is about people and described inclusion as “we,” urging young Nigerians to participate actively in politics rather than wait to become leaders of tomorrow. He stressed that political participation should not be restricted to politicians alone.
The Ekiti State APC Chairman, Barrister Sola Elesin, described politics as a collective responsibility and called for stronger cooperation between the party and the City Boy Movement.
Elesin referenced the state government’s target of 700,000 votes for President Tinubu in 2027 and urged members to take the party’s message to the people. He said the movement and party structure must work together at the grassroots, while recalling Ekiti’s role in the 2023 election.
The South-West Director-General of the movement, Hon. Olamijuwolo Akala, similarly charged members to return to their communities, wards and polling units, noting that door-to-door and one-on-one engagement would be central to grassroots mobilisation.
The National Director of Student Engagement, Hon. Sunday Asefon, directed student members to take the message to their colleagues on campuses and participate actively in membership registration and empowerment programmes.
The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye Stephen, represented at the event, stressed that elections are largely determined at polling-unit level and urged direct voter engagement. Senator Biodun Olujimi also spoke on youth participation and the need to counter misinformation.
The Ekiti State Director of the movement, Asiwaju Oluwafemi Kasali, said the movement has established structures across the 16 local government areas with 354 coordinators.
He said the movement is targeting undecided voters and citizens who traditionally do not participate actively in elections, adding that membership registration will commence on October 1.
Kasali appreciated Governor Biodun Oyebanji for welcoming the movement to Ekiti and noted that the inauguration comes with responsibility.
The Commissioner for Information, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, commended the movement and urged members to align their activities with existing political structures.
The inauguration featured administration of oath to the newly appointed executives, presentation of certificates and distribution of the movement’s handbook and code of conduct.
Other dignitaries at the event included the representative of the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye, Princess Adeboye Akinboye; Hon. Mary Oso, Director-General Bureau of Community Communications, and other political and community stakeholders.
The movement said its focus will remain on deepening grassroots participation and expanding its organisational structure across Ekiti ahead of the 2027 election.
