The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has pledged to mobilise 10 million votes from Nigeria’s education sector in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Alausa made the pledge at the inaugural meeting of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee Education Sector Mobilisation Working Group, where he called on members to extend the campaign beyond educational institutions and into communities across the country.
According to the Minister, the education sector’s extensive network of students, teachers, lecturers, administrators, governing councils, counsellors and professional bodies places it in a strategic position to contribute significantly to the President’s re-election effort.
“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 noted that many of the reforms currently underway require sustained implementation to deliver long-term results, adding that a second term would help consolidate gains, strengthen the economy, attract investment and create more opportunities for Nigerians.
The Working Group is chaired by Alausa, while the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, serves as Deputy Chairman. The Executive Secretary of the Almajiri and Out-of-School Commission, Dr. Muhammad Sani Idris, serves as Secretary.
Other members include the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Comrade Sunday Asefon; the Minister’s Special Adviser on Political Engagement, Adedeji John Demola; National Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit, Adebayo Onigbanjo; and the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr. Ronke Soyombo, among others.
Alausa urged members of the committee to engage stakeholders across their various constituencies and build broad-based support for the President ahead of the 2027 election.
To strengthen coordination, the committee has established sub-groups covering universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, teachers, governing councils, counsellors, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) stakeholders and other segments of the education sector.
The Minister said the goal was to leverage the education sector’s nationwide reach to create a coordinated campaign structure capable of delivering substantial electoral support.
“If we work hard, we should be able to mobilise 10 million votes from the education sector alone for Mr. President,” he said.
Alausa also reaffirmed his personal commitment to the campaign, stating that he would work closely with members of the committee and its sub-groups to pursue the 10-million-vote target.
He said the effort was aimed at ensuring continuity in ongoing reforms and supporting policies that would strengthen human capital development, economic growth and national development.
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