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From Fred Itua, Abuja
Councillors across the country have been urged to close ranks and begin grassroots mobilisation in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
The National President of the National Councillors Forum of Nigeria (NCFN), Hon. Evoh Okechukwu Nwikegwu, made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering his presidential address at the forum’s National Executive Council meeting, held under the theme, “The Way Forward for NCFN: Unity, Hope and Grassroot Development.”
Nwikegwu said councillors, as elected representatives at the ward level, were strategically positioned to connect government policies with the electorate and mobilise support for the administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He urged councillors to remain united and focused, saying the approaching election cycle presented an opportunity for them to demonstrate their relevance in governance and grassroots political mobilisation.
According to him, councillors have for long operated in the background despite their proximity to the people, and must now use their positions to ensure that government programmes and policies are communicated and delivered at the grassroots.
“With the election cycle approaching, there is a lot of work ahead of us. We need to remain focused and united and make our importance felt as the channel through which the grassroots can be reached,” he said.
Nwikegwu said councillors should not limit their responsibilities to political mobilisation but must also ensure that residents in their wards benefit from government programmes.
He said the electorate would judge elected representatives by their performance and impact rather than their political positions.
“Power comes with responsibility. People will not judge us by our titles but by what we deliver in our various wards,” he said. The NCFN president linked the proposed mobilisation for Tinubu to what he described as gains recorded by local governments under the present administration. He particularly cited the 2024 Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy, saying the decision, which followed the Federal Government’s suit, had strengthened the financial position of local governments by requiring allocations meant for the councils to be paid directly to them.
He said the development provided an opportunity for councillors to play a greater role in ensuring that resources available to local governments translated into tangible development at the grassroots.
Nwikegwu also cited the Renewed Hope Agenda, including road infrastructure projects being implemented by the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme, as programmes that should be communicated to residents at the grassroots.
He specifically mentioned projects being undertaken through the ministries of Works and the Federal Capital Territory under their respective ministers, Senator Dave Umahi and Nyesom Wike.
He said councillors should work with relevant government agencies to ensure that the benefits of such programmes reached communities and were properly communicated to residents.
Nwikegwu announced plans by the forum to establish committees that would facilitate collaboration between councillors and government ministries, departments and agencies.
He said the NCFN would also deploy its structures across the 774 local government areas to strengthen its engagement with government agencies and monitor the implementation of programmes at the grassroots.
According to him, visible development at the ward and community levels would provide the strongest basis for seeking the support of voters for the administration.
He, however, cautioned councillors against internal divisions, saying the forum could not effectively pursue its developmental and political objectives if its members remained divided.
Nwikegwu also addressed what he described as the emergence of parallel leadership structures within the NCFN, insisting that he remained the recognised national president of the organisation.
He directed the forum’s legal adviser to investigate meetings allegedly being organised in the name of the NCFN without authorisation.
He said such activities should not be allowed to distract the organisation from its responsibilities to its members and the communities they represent.
Nwikegwu urged councillors to place the interests of the forum and their respective communities above personal interests, while maintaining transparency and accountability in the discharge of their responsibilities.
He said a united NCFN would be better positioned to promote grassroots development and mobilise support for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 elections.
