Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
A political pressure group, Grassroots 121 Action, has inaugurated 5,000 polling-unit canvassers in Ekiti State as part of a grassroots mobilisation campaign supporting the presidential bid of Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate Seyi Makinde ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
The group said it was targeting a minimum of 200,000 votes for Makinde in Ekiti, with its mobilisation structure extending across the state’s 2,445 polling units and 16 local government areas. The target was announced during the inauguration of the canvassers in Ado-Ekiti.
5,000 Canvassers Deployed Across Ekiti
The convener of Grassroots 121 Action, Lanre Fajuyi, said the newly inaugurated canvassers would lead direct voter engagement at the polling-unit level.
According to reports of the event, the group has established Unit Coordinators and Assistant Unit Coordinators to coordinate its activities across Ekiti’s 16 local government areas.
Fajuyi urged the coordinators to engage residents directly, identify issues affecting their communities and maintain sustained grassroots mobilisation ahead of the presidential election.
The group described the 200,000-vote figure as a mobilisation target rather than an established electoral result.
Its ability to achieve that target will ultimately depend on voter preferences, turnout and the outcome of the election.
Group Explains 200,000-Vote Target
Fajuyi said the group had adopted the 200,000-vote target as part of a broader strategy to establish a permanent grassroots structure for Makinde’s presidential campaign in Ekiti.
She described the target as requiring organisation and continued engagement rather than simply being a political declaration.
The group said its canvassers would focus on voter engagement, political awareness and participation as the 2027 election approaches.
The mobilisation is taking place more than a year before the 2027 presidential election, making it part of the early organisational phase of the presidential campaign.
Makinde’s APM Presidential Bid
Makinde, who has served as governor of Oyo State since 2019, formally emerged as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement in May 2026.
Channels Television reported that Makinde accepted the APM nomination at the party’s presidential primary in Ibadan on May 30. Premium Times also reported his emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
The governor subsequently began campaigning nationally.
In September, the APM announced the commencement of its 2027 presidential campaign, while Makinde’s campaign organisation began plans for consultations and town-hall meetings across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The campaign has presented Makinde’s proposed political programme under the “Reset Nigeria” agenda, with issues including the economy, security, education and governance forming part of the campaign’s public messaging.
Grassroots Mobilisation and Nigeria’s Electoral Politics
Grassroots organisation is a longstanding feature of Nigerian election campaigns.
Political parties and support groups commonly establish structures below the state and local government levels to communicate with voters, identify community concerns and encourage supporters to participate in elections.
The Ekiti initiative follows an earlier mobilisation effort in the state involving a different political camp.
In March 2026, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji inaugurated 5,000 community canvassers to mobilise support for his re-election and President Bola Tinubu. The initiative was organised through the state government’s Bureau of Community Communications.
The comparison illustrates the importance political organisations place on person-to-person mobilisation in Ekiti, although the two initiatives involve different candidates, organisations and electoral objectives.
Group Criticises Tinubu Administration
At the Ekiti mobilisation event, Grassroots 121 Action also criticised the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The group argued that government policies had increased economic pressure on ordinary Nigerians and contributed, in its assessment, to hardship and declining purchasing power.
It also described the government’s responses to poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and the rising cost of living as inadequate.
Those statements represent the political group’s assessment of the government’s performance and should not be treated as independently established findings.
The Federal Government has previously defended its economic reforms and argued that its policies are intended to stabilise the economy, attract investment and improve long-term economic conditions.
The political debate over the effects of the reforms is expected to remain an important issue ahead of the 2027 election.
Ekiti’s Electoral Importance
Ekiti has 16 local government areas and 2,445 polling units, according to reporting by The Guardian citing INEC records.
For political organisations, the state’s relatively concentrated electoral structure provides an identifiable network through which campaigns can organise at polling-unit level.
The 200,000-vote target announced by Grassroots 121 Action therefore represents an attempt to translate a statewide organisational structure into a specific numerical campaign objective.
However, a mobilisation target should not be confused with a forecast of actual votes.
The final number of votes received by any candidate will depend on the candidates on the ballot, campaign activities, voter registration, turnout, voter choices and the official results declared after the election.
What the Group Plans to Do Next
Grassroots 121 Action said its newly inaugurated structure marks the beginning of sustained mobilisation rather than a one-off political event.
The group plans to maintain contact with voters through its coordinators and canvassers while focusing on community concerns, voter engagement and political participation.
Its activities will take place alongside those of political parties, campaign organisations and other political groups preparing for the 2027 election.
For Makinde’s campaign, the Ekiti initiative provides a state-level grassroots structure supporting the wider national campaign already being organised by the APM.
The APM has also announced plans for engagements across the country’s six geopolitical zones as it develops its campaign ahead of the election.
Why It Matters
The mobilisation demonstrates that the 2027 presidential contest is already generating grassroots political activity well ahead of polling day.
It also highlights the role of organised support groups outside formal party structures in building campaign networks and communicating political messages to voters.
For Ekiti voters, the development adds another layer to an increasingly active political environment ahead of the presidential election.
For the wider Nigerian political system, the competing mobilisation efforts also underline the importance of voters having access to information about candidates, parties and their policy positions before making their choices.
The 200,000-vote figure remains a target set by Grassroots 121 Action. It does not establish how many votes Makinde will receive in Ekiti or indicate the eventual election outcome.
What Happens Next
Grassroots 121 Action is expected to continue its polling-unit-level mobilisation across Ekiti as the 2027 presidential election approaches.
The group will operate alongside the APM’s broader campaign structures and other political organisations seeking support in the state.
The next major developments will include further campaign activities, public policy engagements, voter mobilisation efforts and the eventual electoral process leading to the 2027 presidential poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission will remain responsible for administering the election and declaring official results in accordance with Nigeria’s electoral framework.
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Sources
- Punch Newspapers — report on Grassroots 121 Action’s 5,000 canvassers and 200,000-vote target in Ekiti.
- Tribune Online — report on the group’s grassroots mobilisation and polling-unit structure.
- The Guardian Nigeria — report on the 200,000-vote target and Ekiti’s polling-unit structure.
- Channels Television — report on Makinde’s emergence as APM presidential candidate and the party’s 2027 campaign.
- Premium Times — report on Makinde’s emergence as APM presidential candidate.
