2027 General Elections: Alausa eyes 10m votes for Tinubu
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has pledged to mobilise 10 million votes from Nigeria’s education sector for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election.
Alausa made the commitment at the inaugural meeting of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee Education Sector Mobilisation Working Group, where he called on members to take the campaign beyond educational institutions and into communities nationwide.
He said the education sector, with its vast network of students, teachers, lecturers, administrators, governing councils, professional bodies and other stakeholders, was strategically positioned to deliver significant electoral support for the President.
“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.
The minister stressed that continuity was necessary to consolidate ongoing reforms, strengthen the economy, attract investment and create greater opportunities for Nigerians.
He also said sustained implementation of the reforms was critical to achieving long-term improvements in human capital development and national economic growth.
Alausa therefore charged members of the Working Group to engage their various constituencies and build broad-based support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
The Working Group is chaired by Alausa, with the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, as Deputy Chairman, and the Executive Secretary of the Almajiri and Out-of-School Commission, Dr Muhammad Sani Idris, as Secretary.
The committee also comprises presidential aides and heads of education agencies, including the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, National Mass Education Commission, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, as well as officials responsible for student engagement, political engagement, TVET, school feeding and youth engagement.
The minister said sub-groups had been established to coordinate mobilisation across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, teachers, governing councils, TVET, counsellors and other stakeholder groups.
He said presidential appointees within the education sector would work with the core Working Group and the various sub-groups to extend the campaign nationwide.
Alausa said the objective was to transform the education sector’s nationwide reach into a coordinated electoral effort capable of delivering a significant bloc of votes for Tinubu.
“If we work hard, we should be able to mobilise 10 million votes from the education sector alone for Mr President,” he said.
The minister urged members to approach the assignment with commitment, teamwork and sustained engagement, stressing that achieving the target would require the collective effort of stakeholders across the sector.
Alausa also reaffirmed his personal commitment to Tinubu’s re-election, saying he would drive the education sector’s campaign effort and work with the established structures to pursue the 10-million-vote target.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure continuity in the reform process, consolidate economic and institutional gains, and support a Nigeria where sustained reforms would translate into greater economic opportunities and stronger human capital development.