Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, on Saturday officially inaugurated a political support group, As Tinubu and Mbah Move (ATM), to mobilise support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The group, which is anchored on technology and innovation, is expected to deploy digital tools to mobilise voters, monitor grassroots engagement and track its membership and electoral mobilisation activities across the 4,145 polling units in Enugu State.
Speaking at the inauguration, Governor Mbah commended Udeh for the initiative, describing its technological approach and grassroots mobilisation strategy as important complements to the existing political structures of the APC in the state.
Mbah, who expressed excitement over the large turnout at the event, urged members of the group to extend the enthusiasm generated by the inauguration to communities, villages, kindreds, families and polling units across the state.
He said the support group’s effectiveness would be measured not by the crowd at its inauguration but by its ability to translate the energy into grassroots mobilisation and electoral support.
“ATM, this heat, this energy must go beyond this inauguration hall. You must take this energy to our streets, villages, polling units, kindreds and families,” he said.
The governor urged members to convince voters through visible development projects and the achievements of his administration, including Smart Green Schools, the International Conference Centre, Presidential Hotel, International Hospital and other infrastructure projects.
On President Tinubu’s re-election bid, Mbah described the President as a unifier, arguing that his administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure investments had laid the foundation for national growth and shared prosperity.
He said the President’s decision to remove fuel subsidy and unify the foreign exchange regime demonstrated the political courage required to address longstanding structural challenges in the Nigerian economy.
According to him, although the reforms initially imposed difficulties on citizens, they were necessary to restore macroeconomic stability, rebuild confidence in the economy and attract private capital and foreign investment.
Mbah argued that sustained economic reforms were necessary to translate the emerging growth trajectory into employment opportunities and improved living conditions for Nigerians.
He also highlighted the Federal Government’s infrastructure interventions in the South-East, particularly the improved Enugu-Onitsha highway, the ongoing Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway project and the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
The governor said the airport concession would strengthen the South-East’s economic competitiveness, particularly with the planned commencement of cargo operations and direct flights between Enugu and Guangzhou, China, before the end of the first quarter of 2027.
He maintained that the region stood to benefit significantly from the expansion of its aviation and cargo-handling capacity, given the volume of goods currently transported by road from Lagos to the South-East.
On the political implications of the 2027 elections, Mbah urged the people of the South-East to adopt a strategic approach to national politics, stressing the importance of building political alliances beyond the region.
He recalled the political alignments of the First and Second Republics, particularly the alliances involving Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dr Michael Okpara, as examples of how political cooperation across regional boundaries could advance the interests of the Igbo.
The governor argued that supporting Tinubu’s re-election would provide the South-East with an opportunity to strengthen its political relevance and deepen its participation in national governance.
He cautioned APC members against complacency, despite the party’s dominance of the state’s political structures, urging them to campaign vigorously as though they were the underdogs.
Mbah disclosed that the group would complement the party’s existing structures across the state’s 4,145 polling units, adding that its digital monitoring platform would provide a verifiable picture of grassroots mobilisation.
He also urged eligible voters who had yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to do so and mobilise for the January 16, 2027, presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as the February 6, 2027, governorship and State Assembly polls.
The governor, however, stressed that the administration’s development agenda remained a work in progress, noting that the presence of poverty, inadequate electricity supply, water challenges and unpaved roads in some communities meant that more work was required.
Earlier, the convener of ATM, Dr Udeh, said the support group was different from conventional political organisations because of its reliance on technology, innovation and a data-driven approach to electoral mobilisation.
He disclosed that the group had established an innovation situation room and digital dashboard to monitor membership registration, grassroots activities and voter mobilisation across polling units.
According to him, membership registration would be tied to the possession of a PVC and the submission of voters’ identification details through a dedicated online portal, while the platform would also track referrals and recruitment of new members.
Udeh said the initiative was designed to replace unverified membership claims with a credible database that would enable the group to measure its performance and provide verifiable reports.
He added that Governor Mbah would have direct access to the dashboard to monitor activities, verify membership figures and assess the group’s progress.
Describing the initiative as an expression of appreciation and loyalty to the governor, Udeh said the relationship between the group and Mbah went beyond the 2027 electioneering season.
He pledged that ATM would deliver measurable results in support of APC candidates at all elective levels, particularly President Tinubu.
Also speaking, the APC National Vice Chairman, South-East Zone, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, commended Governor Mbah for his developmental strides in Enugu State and his efforts in coordinating the party’s presidential campaign activities in the South-East.
Arodiogbu also praised Udeh for establishing the support group and his contributions to the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
He called on the people of the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election, while urging the people of Enugu State to vote for Mbah and all APC candidates in the 2027 elections.
Using an apprenticeship analogy, the APC chieftain said no responsible father would send his son to learn a trade under a master who would not settle him after completing his apprenticeship.
He argued that the South-East should support Tinubu because, according to him, the President understood the importance of rewarding loyalty and political support.
Also speaking, the Enugu State Coordinator of ATM, Ugwuoke Onyebuchi, said the group comprised largely individuals who had previously been active in civil society rather than partisan politics.
He said their decision to mobilise support for Mbah and Tinubu was informed by the confidence reposed in Udeh and their conviction that they could contribute to the state’s political and developmental direction.
Ugwuoke said members would embark on grassroots mobilisation, voter education and engagement to persuade residents to support the APC candidates in the forthcoming elections.
He added that the group would deploy technology and data-driven strategies to identify, classify and engage voters across communities, insisting that its activities and results would be measurable.
The highlight of the event was the swearing-in of ATM members and executives at the state and local government levels by the Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu.
The event was attended by the APC National Vice Chairman, South-East Zone, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu; former members of the House of Representatives, Hon U.S.A Igwesi, who is also the Enugu State Coordinator of Renewed Hope Ambassadors of Nigeria, and Hon Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Deputy Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Council in the South-East.
Others included the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Asadu; local government chairmen; members of the Enugu State Executive Council; the state Chairman of the APC, Dr Martin Chukwunwike; and the APC South-East Women Leader, Dr Oby Ajih.
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