APC National Vice Chairman South-West, Prince Diran Iyantan
- promises rainbow coalition across six states
- cites reforms, student loans, infrastructure, economic recovery as reasons for continuity
The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), South-West, Prince Diran Iyantan, has expressed confidence that the region will deliver more than 90 percent of its votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Friday on the sidelines of the swearing-in of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for a second term in office, Iyantan said the APC would commence intensive grassroots mobilisation across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states to achieve the ambitious target.
He disclosed that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the South-West campaign coordinator, and himself as co-coordinator would work with party structures, political stakeholders, community leaders and support groups to galvanise voters for the President’s re-election.
“Winning the South-West is not the issue. Our concern is how to deliver overwhelming votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is why we are commencing an intensive, well-coordinated grassroots campaign across all six states. The work starts now, and we are leaving no stone unturned,” he said.
Iyantan explained that the mobilisation would adopt a rainbow coalition strategy, bringing together different political interests, support groups, traditional institutions, professionals, youths, women and community leaders in a broad-based campaign for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
He expressed optimism that the six South-West governors would support the initiative, while indicating his hope that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State would eventually join the effort. He also welcomed the reported alignment of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke with the President’s re-election bid.
According to him, the campaign would extend beyond rallies and media engagements to wards, markets and local communities, where voters would be engaged directly on the administration’s policies, infrastructure projects and economic reforms.
Defending the President’s record, Iyantan said the South-West had benefited from significant federal infrastructure investments, particularly ongoing road projects across the region. He argued that continuity was necessary to ensure the completion of these projects and the full realisation of their economic benefits.
“President Tinubu has done a great deal for the South-West, beyond the fact that he is our son. Across the six states, we can point to significant federal infrastructure projects, including major road constructions that are ongoing. Our people understand that these projects need continuity so that the benefits can be fully realised,” he stated.
He also highlighted the administration’s human capital development initiatives, particularly the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides interest-free loans to students in tertiary institutions to support their education and upkeep.
The student loan scheme, he noted, represents an important intervention in expanding access to higher education and reducing the financial barriers confronting young Nigerians.
On the economy, Iyantan’s case for continuity comes amid improvements acknowledged by the World Bank in Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators following the implementation of the Tinubu administration’s fiscal and monetary reforms.
The World Bank’s October 2026 Nigeria Development Update reported that the economy grew by 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, compared with 3.9 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025. It also highlighted stronger public revenues, improved external balances and increased capital spending by state governments.
The report further noted that the poverty rate had stabilised for the first time since 2019, although the Bank stressed that sustained growth, which is the continuity of this government beyond 2027 and more inclusive policies would be required to translate economic improvements into better living standards for households.
Iyantan maintained that such indicators provided grounds for cautious optimism and reinforced the argument for policy consistency, allowing ongoing reforms to mature and deliver broader benefits to Nigerians.
He also pointed to the administration’s efforts to improve foreign-exchange market stability, strengthen external reserves, attract investment and expand government revenue through fiscal reforms. These measures, alongside the removal of the petrol subsidy and reforms in public finance, have formed key elements of the administration’s economic restructuring agenda.
On national security, the APC chieftain’s argument for continuity also encompasses the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to combat insurgency, terrorism, banditry and other threats to public safety. The administration has intensified security operations and pursued intelligence and international security cooperations.
The administration has also pursued infrastructure development and economic diversification through major road projects, energy initiatives, support for domestic manufacturing and measures designed to strengthen trade and investment. These interventions, supporters of the President argue, require sustained implementation to achieve their intended economic impact.
Iyantan added that infrastructure development under the Tinubu administration extended beyond the South-West, with strategic road projects and other investments intended to improve national connectivity, facilitate trade and stimulate economic growth.
He maintained that a second term would provide President Tinubu with the opportunity to consolidate economic reforms, deepen investment in education and infrastructure, strengthen national security and complete strategic projects already underway.
He further argued that the South-West had a special responsibility to support the President, given his regional roots and the significance of having a leader from the zone at the helm of the country.
“It is incumbent upon the South-West to support President Tinubu’s second-term ambition. We may not have another opportunity in the foreseeable future to produce a President from our region, and we must make the most of this moment,” he said.
Iyantan expressed confidence that unity among political leaders, effective coordination and sustained grassroots engagement would position the South-West to deliver a decisive electoral endorsement for Tinubu in 2027.
He said the region’s ambition was not merely to secure the President’s re-election but to emerge as the geopolitical zone with the highest percentage of votes in his favour.
