The Renewed Hope Project 2027, a pro-Tinubu support group, mobilized a large number of students in Abuja on Wednesday for a solidarity march backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid, setting an ambitious vote target for the 2027 presidential election. The group announced it is targeting between 10 million and 12 million votes for the President nationwide.
Group Claims Millions of Students Already Registered
Director General of the Renewed Hope Project 2027, Hon. Dauda Salisu, told the crowd that the organization has already registered about seven million students on its platform. He said the group has coordinators in tertiary institutions across all 36 states and plans to use that network to expand support further, as reported by The Guardian Nigeria.
“We have students in all the 36 states of the federation. We have coordinators in all the institutions in the country. We are going to use those coordinators to mobilise students across this nation,” Salisu said. He cited the student loan programme as a key reason students are backing the President and pushed back on claims that the administration’s policies have made schooling harder for young Nigerians.
The national patron of the group, Alhaji Ahmed Mahmoud Mubi, also known as Isa Mambila, said initial registration stood at about 1.789 million students, with an original target of 4.8 million. He added that the figure has since grown significantly, prompting the group to revise its nationwide vote target upward to 10 million. He said students who once feared dropping out due to inability to pay fees are now hopeful of graduating, which drew them to the rally.
Jibrin Urges Students to Back Tinubu in 2027
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Renewed Hope Project 2027, Major General Abdulmalik Jibrin (rtd), said the march was part of a broader effort to bring the re-election campaign to the grassroots, with a particular focus on what the administration has done for education, including through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Managing Director of NELFUND, Dr Akintunde Sawyerr, also addressed the rally and urged students to consider the government’s interventions as they decide whom to support in 2027. Sawyerr disclosed that as of September 2026, NELFUND had processed about 1.66 million loan applications and disbursed ₦355.87 billion since opening its portal in May 2024. Of that total, over ₦192.89 billion went directly to 319 tertiary institutions as institutional fees, while ₦162.98 billion was paid to students as upkeep allowances.
The Renewed Hope Project 2027 said similar marches would be held in other parts of the country as the group scales up its mobilisation drive ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu Speaks on State of Health After Abroad Trip
Earlier, President Tinubu touched down in Lagos on Tuesday evening, September 29, marking the end of a four-week working vacation spent abroad. Legit.ng reports that speaking shortly after his arrival, Tinubu moved quickly to address speculation that had been circulating about his well-being during the extended period away from the country.
