Follow Us on Google
• as Kaduna governor urges effective communication to sell president’s second term
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Governor of Imo State and Director General of Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Hope Uzodimma on Wednesday declared that the greatest danger to President Bola Tinubu’s administration is not failure but silence — warning that when good work goes unexplained, “rumour rushes in to fill the gap” and Nigerians in villages never know progress has arrived.
Speaking at the opening of a two‑day the RHA National Mobilisation Retreat, where political leaders, government officials, party stakeholders and mobilisation coordinators from across the country gathered to chart a strategy for grassroots engagement and political mobilisation, Uzodimma framed the Ambassadors as the antidote to this silence: a nationwide civic engagement movement whose core mission is to ensure reform travels “the last mile to the village.”
He delivered a sobering diagnosis of Nigeria’s communication crisis: “But let me tell you where the real danger lies. It is not always failure that undoes a government. Very often, it is silence. When we do good work and nobody hears the story, someone else tells it for us, and they tell it wrong. When reform goes unexplained, rumour rushes in to fill the gap. And when progress never travels the last mile to the village, the people it was meant for never even know it arrived. That is why the Renewed Hope Ambassadors exist.”
Uzodimma who spoke on the theme:“Building a Unified National Mobilisation Architecture”, achievements are not rhetoric. They are the launching point for a structured communication strategy that will deploy ambassadors at national, state, local government and ward levels to bridge the gap between policy and public understanding.
He declared that President Tinubu’s performance has earned him the right to seek a second term in office, revealing that more than 4.4 million grassroots supporters are being mobilised nationwide to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The DG RHA described the retreat as a strategic effort to build a unified national mobilisation architecture capable of translating government policies and achievements into grassroots support.
According to him, the administration’s reforms and development initiatives in key sectors of the economy have begun yielding positive results despite the initial difficulties associated with implementing tough but necessary policies.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated courage in taking difficult decisions that previous administrations avoided. The Renewed Hope Agenda is not merely a government programme; it is a comprehensive plan to rebuild Nigeria and secure a better future for generations to come,” Uzodimma said.
He pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects, healthcare interventions, social investment programmes and economic reforms as evidence of the administration’s commitment to national development.
“The achievements of this administration have laid a solid foundation for continued progress. The performance of President Tinubu merits a second term, and it is our responsibility to take that message to every community across the federation,” he added.
Uzodimma disclosed that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors had developed an extensive grassroots mobilisation structure stretching from the national level to polling units nationwide.
“Our architecture moves from the national leadership to the six geopolitical zones, the 36 states and the FCT, down to the 774 local government areas, 8,809 wards and ultimately 176,846 polling units across Nigeria,” he stated.
He further revealed that the organisation intends to deploy 25 canvassers to each polling unit across the country.
“At twenty‑five canvassers to a polling unit, that is a lawful civic force of 4,421,150 people across the federation. That is the mathematics of serious mobilisation. That is the difference between hoping to win and organising to win,” he said.
The governor stressed that the objective of the mobilisation drive was not only political but also aimed at ensuring citizens understand government reforms and their long‑term benefits.
“We mobilise without arrogance. We persuade without insult. We defend the President without insulting the citizen. We answer hard questions without losing our temper. Our mission is to communicate truth, performance and evidence with discipline and patriotism,” he stated.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, declared that the success of governance and the success of the party are “interconnected,” urging RHA coordinators to translate President Tinubu’s bold reforms into stories that ordinary Nigerians can understand and feel.
He emphasised that “policies do not speak for themselves. Projects do not speak for themselves. Statistics do not speak for themselves. People speak.” He charged the coordinators to focus on “truthful presentation of facts, achievements, and outcomes which we have in abundance,” noting that while “facts are important… stories move people. Data informs minds, but stories inspires hearts.”
The APC Chairman highlighted that three years into President Tinubu’s administration, “the results of those difficult but necessary decisions are beginning to emerge,” with Nigeria’s economy returning to a stronger growth trajectory, credit rating agencies upgrading Nigeria’s sovereign ratings, foreign reserves strengthening considerably compared to 2023, and Shell committing a fresh $20 billion into the economy.
Other News
He pointed to ambitious infrastructure projects including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, and rail modernization as components of a comprehensive architecture designed to support Tinubu’s vision of a one-trillion-dollar economy.
Beyond infrastructure, he highlighted historic investments in human capital: the Nigerian Educational Loan Fund has opened access to higher education for about 1.5 million young Nigerians, while cancer treatment centres and expanded health insurance coverage demonstrate the administration’s commitment to reducing medical tourism and improving healthcare access for Nigerians.
Kaduna State Governor and Deputy Director General of RHA, Uba Sani, in his welcome remarks, framed the retreat as a pivotal moment for Nigeria’s political future, emphasising that the gathering brings together “mathematical leaders from across our great nation, united by a shared vision of progress and liberty.”
Sani noted that the task before them transcends ordinary campaigning, stating: “The task before us is not merely a campaign; it is a profound call to action.”
He outlined the retreat’s core objective: building a unified mobilisation structure. “We are charged with constructing a unified national mobilisation architecture that will translate our governance processes into a powerful political structure,” Sani explained.
He stressed the importance of data-driven strategies and grassroots engagement, asserting that “our message must resonate across every state, every local area, and every community unit.” Sani characterised the Renewed Hope Agenda as more than policy—it is “a covenant with the Nigerian people: the promise of opportunity, stability, and progress.”
Sani closed by urging participants to embrace unity and active collaboration. “Our strength lies in our ability to harmonise our efforts, to engage with one another in meaningful ways, and to forge alliances that transcend political boundaries,” he said.
Reflecting on President Tinubu’s reforms, the governor affirmed: “His vision is transforming Nigeria brick by brick, and it is our responsibility to ensure that this vision is articulated and embraced by every Nigerian.” He concluded with a powerful call: “Together, we will ensure that the message of Renewed Hope is not just a slogan, but a living, breathing commitment to the future of Nigeria.”
On his part, Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya emphasised that mobilisation serves as “the engine that will power our renewed hope agenda to victory and beyond.”
Addressing the gathering in his capacity as Secretary of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Yahaya declared his dual commitment: “I stand before you not just as Governor of the State or Secretary of the Renewed Hope Ambassador, but as a committed soldier on the Renewed Hope agenda.” He warned that Nigeria is “in a race against time as the 2027 general election is fast approaching,” underscoring the urgency of the ambassadors’ grassroots mobilisation work.
He charged the ambassadors to actively counter opposition narratives with factual evidence, stating unequivocally: “We must never allow the opposition to define the narrative.” He acknowledged the difficulties of President Tinubu’s reforms while asserting they “are already bearing fruit in the form of a more disciplined and fiscal environment.”
The governor laid out the ambassadors’ clear mandate: “Our job is to meet falsehood with facts, despair with data, and cynicism with the undeniable evidence of progress.”
He concluded by urging full participation, noting that “when we respect time, we respect the mission,” and emphasizing that the retreat must produce “actionable strategies, not just slogans and slogans.”
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, in his goodwill message praised the Renewed Hope Ambassadors initiative as “a very loud initiative of Mr. President, recognising that some messages need to be debated and some of the reform measures that Nigeria has undertaken in the last three years can be subject of discussion and even at different faculties in different universities.”
He commended Tinubu and his team, emphasising the ambassadors’ role is critical in a federation where “the impact of what we are doing may be felt differently,” calling for “a robust mechanism where feedback can be gathered so that we calibrate and do better.”
Bagudu highlighted concrete economic achievements from the reforms: “Mr. President’s reform agenda has, among others, ensured that the Federation is working better. He has taken the bullet for the benefit of the three tiers of government. Some of the three tiers of government, particularly some states and local governments, have reported quadrupling in revenue, meaning that they have more resources to work with.”
He contrasted this with past failures, recalling that “even with oil prices at $147, 27 states could not pay salary… because of the wrong choices that we made. So today we have taken choices and we are seeing the results.”
He noted that opposition governors from Delta and Akwa Ibom have joined the APC, saying: “One of the things that those governors say was the success of the reform measures…”
On the way forward, Bagudu referenced President Tinubu’s directive from October 2025: “We must take the benefit of the reforms to the grassroots. That is the last mile.” He outlined a practical approach: “Let us ensure that we have a programme that can map the economic opportunities, the programmes that we are undertaking in all the 889 wards, so that together we can improve upon them.”
Addressing critics, he asserted: “For every incidence of security or insecurity, we have a success story. The last three years have shown remarkable success.” Citing the Kankara schoolgirls rescue, he said: “117 schoolgirls were tragically taken from the school in Kada in Kebbi State. Mr. President,directed the the Minister of Defence, the Service Chiefs… to relocate to Kebbi and all of those girls were successfully rescued alive.”
He concluded by calling for unity: “This challenge, which is both domestic and regional and in a way global, calls for understanding, calls for mutual support, calls for all of us working together as a total of society approach under the leadership, profound guidance and support of Mr. President.”
