Uzodimma: Tinubu’s Performance Secures Second Term

Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on Wednesday expressed strong confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s performance in office will earn him a second term in the 2027 general election, urging intensified grassroots mobilisation to consolidate public support.

Uzodimma made the declaration in Abuja while addressing members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) at the group’s National Mobilisation Retreat held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. He charged members to take ownership of the administration’s message and actively engage communities across the country ahead of the next electoral cycle.

The governor, who also serves as Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and Director General of the RHA, said the responsibility of the organisation goes beyond political advocacy to ensuring Nigerians understand the intent and benefits of ongoing reforms.

According to him, President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is focused on rebuilding the nation through critical economic reforms, infrastructure expansion, improved healthcare delivery, and targeted social intervention programmes.

Defending some of the administration’s most controversial policies, including the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, Uzodimma described them as “difficult but necessary” steps to stabilise and reposition the economy for long-term growth.

“The President chose the path of courage over convenience. Our responsibility is to explain these reforms to Nigerians and ensure that the benefits are clearly understood at the grassroots,” he said.

He cited recent economic data as evidence of progress, noting that Nigeria recorded a 3.89 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of 2026. Uzodimma added that major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Road, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and the Bodo-Bonny Road are advancing under the current administration.

The governor also highlighted interventions in healthcare, the student loan scheme, consumer credit programme, implementation of the new minimum wage, ongoing tax reforms and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative as indicators of tangible progress.

He, however, identified poor public awareness as a key challenge facing the government, stressing that the RHA was established to bridge the communication gap and counter misinformation.

“Our task is to take the message of Renewed Hope to every community, every ward and every polling unit. We must meet misinformation with facts,” Uzodimma said.

As part of its strategy, he disclosed that the retreat would produce key operational documents, including a National Grassroots Mobilisation Blueprint, state-by-state action plans, a standard messaging manual and an election readiness checklist.

He further revealed plans to deploy 25 canvassers across each of Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units, creating a mobilisation network of over four million operatives nationwide.

Uzodimma also called for unity within the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that collaboration between party structures and the RHA would be critical to sustaining support for the administration.

Other speakers at the retreat echoed similar sentiments. Kaduna State Governor and RHA Deputy Director General, Senator Uba Sani, urged members to effectively communicate the administration’s achievements, while Gombe State Governor and National Secretary of the group, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described the organisation as a strategic vehicle for national transformation.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, acknowledged that while security challenges persist, progress in tackling kidnapping and terrorism, including the rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Kebbi State, should be recognised.

The National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, formally declared the retreat open. The two-day mobilisation retreat runs from June 10 to June 11, 2026.

Uzodimma expressed optimism that the administration’s achievements would become more visible in the coming months, insisting that President Tinubu’s record would ultimately convince Nigerians to renew his mandate in 2027.