Olujuwon Obasanjo joins pro-Tinubu movement, backs 2027 re-election

Olujuwon Obasanjo, a son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has joined the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement as its Special Adviser on Political Affairs and declared support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027.

He announced his position on Wednesday during a visit to the movement's headquarters in Abuja, where he was received by its national coordinator and taken round the organisation's operations.

The move puts a member of the former president's family inside a grassroots group working for Tinubu's second term, as parties and support groups position themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.

What he said

Obasanjo described the appointment as an honour and a privilege, and praised the movement's community outreach and its efforts to promote the Tinubu administration's programmes.

He said the President had "started on a good note", citing regular salary payments, infrastructure development and investment opportunities as areas of progress, and argued that the reforms should be sustained.

He also said he had been a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 2014, and that the Obasanjo family allows its members to hold independent political views and pursue their interests without animosity.

The national coordinator welcomed him, describing him as an experienced political figure whose background in leadership and governance would strengthen the group's mobilisation across the country.

One point the reports differ on

The two accounts of the visit differ in places. Punch named the national coordinator as Sunday Asuku, while The Whistler gave the name as Comrade Sunday Adekanbi. The Whistler also described the movement as led by former militant leader Government 'Tompolo' Ekpemupolo, a detail Punch's report did not include.

Both reports agree on the substance: Obasanjo's appointment as Special Adviser on Political Affairs, his backing for Tinubu in 2027, and his statement that he joined the APC in 2014.

The former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has not commented in either report, and nothing in them suggests he shares his son's position.

What happens next

The 2027 general election is still more than a year away, and no date has been fixed in the reports. For now, the focus is on support groups building grassroots networks and on whether other political families follow suit.