The National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Mary Alile Idele, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must complete two full terms in office before power is transferred to another region of the country.
Idele, who also serves as National Coordinator of the Tinubu Torch Bearers (TTB), made the remarks in Akure, Ondo State, during the inauguration of the group’s structure in the state. The event forms part of efforts to build support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
She stated that the APC would mobilise supporters nationwide to secure a second term for the President, emphasising that his eight-year tenure should be completed before any discussion of power rotation.
“4+4 is equal to eight,” Idele said, insisting there is “no vacancy” at the Presidential Villa ahead of the 2027 poll. She added that Tinubu must finish his tenure, after which power could shift to the North, and claimed the South-South must also complete eight years.
Idele urged APC women in Ondo to take the administration’s achievements to their homes and communities and mobilise voters at the grassroots. She noted that the TTB has already expanded to more than 30 states with the goal of building a strong network ahead of the election. She challenged women to deliver more than 50 per cent support for Tinubu among female voters and convert political structures into votes on election day.
“Go to your homes; tell your husband and your children that we are voting for President Tinubu in the 2027 election,” she said. “Tell them 4+4 is equal to eight and that there is ‘No vacancy’ in Aso Rock… We will win the coming election, and we shall re-elect President Tinubu.”
Southwest Coordinator of the TTB, Princess Sandra Williams Oladele, said the initiative focuses on grassroots mobilisation, women’s participation and communicating the Renewed Hope Agenda. She called on Ondo women to mobilise their families and said the group is targeting 90 per cent support for Tinubu in the state and across the Southwest.
“We want to give Tinubu 90 per cent of the votes. Across the South-West, we, the women, are giving Baba 90 per cent,” Oladele said.
State Coordinator Erelu Modupe Martins also urged members to intensify mobilisation so that the new structures translate into votes for the APC in 2027.
Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Osamaye, said women in the state have benefited from programmes of the APC-led administration and should reciprocate by supporting the party and its candidates. She stressed that political structures must be converted into electoral strength and praised the governor’s wife, Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, for her support for women.
Mrs Aiyedatiwa described the Tinubu Torch Bearers as a platform for grassroots engagement, civic responsibility and political mobilisation. She expressed support for the President’s re-election, saying it would ensure continuity of reforms.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, acknowledged women’s contributions to governance and mobilisation. He said the state aims to deliver an unprecedented performance for Tinubu in 2027, targeting over one million votes from Ondo State, and called on women, men and youths to take the administration’s message to every household.