Advertisement
TMS Explains Northern Mobilisation Strategy for Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign
The Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Leadership Foundation (TMS), popularly known by its campaign slogan, “Tinubu Must Stay,” has explained that its growing political engagement across Northern Nigeria is aimed at promoting informed political participation, strengthening public understanding of governance and building support for the continuity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
A Board Member and Director of the organisation, Engineer Suleman Hashim, disclosed this while responding to questions on the movement’s campaign strategy, its choice of Jigawa State for its first major engagement and the objectives of its grassroots mobilisation activities.
Hashim said the foundation was seeking to move political conversations beyond what he described as superficial debates towards a more informed understanding of leadership, governance and national development.
“The major driver of the TMS movement is to elevate the hitherto low level and mediocre conversation to a higher pedestal where citizens are made to understand ideal governance and leadership expectations,” he stated.
According to him, the organisation believes that meaningful political participation requires citizens to understand government policies, leadership responsibilities and the implications of their electoral choices.
He explained that TMS was particularly interested in encouraging political awareness among communities in Northern Nigeria as part of its efforts to build support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On why Jigawa State was selected for the movement’s first major campaign engagement, Hashim attributed the decision to what he described as the willingness of residents to engage with public issues and embrace political enlightenment.
He said the organisation considered Jigawa a suitable starting point because of its perception of the state’s receptiveness to civic education and constructive political discussions.
Another significant factor in the choice of Jigawa was the connection of the movement’s Chairman and National Coordinator, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, to the state.
Inuwa, who also serves as the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), hails from Jigawa State and has played a prominent role in implementing the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda under President Tinubu.
The state has been identified by TMS as one of the beneficiaries of the administration’s digital transformation and technological development initiatives, particularly in areas relating to digital literacy, technology skills development, innovation and opportunities for young people.
Against this background, the movement considers Jigawa a strategic location for engaging residents on the relationship between government policies, technological advancement and economic opportunities.
Hashim explained that the programme provided an opportunity to leverage the goodwill associated with Inuwa’s leadership and his longstanding ties to the state in discussing the movement’s objectives and the perceived benefits of sustaining the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the engagement focused on grassroots political sensitisation, community interactions and empowerment initiatives.
He said participants were encouraged to examine the administration’s policies and the reasons TMS advocates political continuity, particularly in relation to national development and emerging opportunities in the digital economy.
The programme also featured empowerment activities intended to support participating communities, reflecting the organisation’s approach of combining political engagement with initiatives addressing local needs.
Explaining the selection of Garin Gabas for a major aspect of the campaign, Hashim said the community deserved greater recognition for what he described as its longstanding political awareness and interest in public affairs.
He maintained that the engagement was designed to highlight the community’s political consciousness while providing a platform to communicate the objectives and ideals of TMS.
The director also attributed the large turnout recorded during the programme to goodwill, political awareness and a sense of brotherhood among participants.
He said these factors contributed to community participation and demonstrated, in his assessment, the importance of personal relationships and grassroots engagement in political mobilisation.
Looking ahead, Hashim explained that the movement intended to sustain its engagements beyond individual campaign events by encouraging greater political consciousness and continued public participation in governance discussions.
He maintained that an informed and politically aware society was essential to national development and should remain a priority beyond electoral campaigns.
“What comes next for TMS is an advanced and politically aware society that must be sustained for national development,” he said.
Hashim further clarified that the organisation’s official name is the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Leadership Foundation, while “Tinubu Must Stay” serves as its political campaign phrase and slogan.
He reiterated that the foundation’s activities would continue to focus on political education, grassroots engagement and advocacy for the continuation of President Tinubu’s leadership.
The Jigawa engagement represents part of TMS’s efforts to expand its political mobilisation across Northern Nigeria as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
