Prominent Oyo political figures, women leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Alhaja Tawa Sarafadeen Alli, wife of the APC governorship candidate in the state, Senator Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, on Monday joined others to host Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the official inauguration of the Tinubu Torch Bearers (TTB), Oyo State Chapter, in Ibadan.
The colourful ceremony, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke-Ado, attracted party leaders, political stakeholders, women groups and supporters from across the state as the APC stepped up its grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was billed as the Special Guest of Honour, was represented at the event by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
For Tawa Sarafadeen Alli, the event went beyond the unveiling of another political structure. Her presence alongside other prominent stakeholders underscored the importance being attached to women-led grassroots mobilisation and the drive to deepen engagement between the government and the people.
Reflecting on the significance of the inauguration in a post after the event, she described it as “a call to service, unity and collective responsibility,” urging members of the platform to embrace their assignment as a responsibility to the people rather than merely another political role.
According to her, women have a unique understanding of how government policies affect ordinary Nigerians, particularly mothers seeking better futures for their children, young people searching for opportunities, traders striving to grow their businesses and farmers hoping for improved productivity.
She said this understanding should motivate women to actively communicate the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda at the grassroots while also ensuring that the concerns of citizens are heard.
Sarafadeen Alli stressed that the Tinubu Torch Bearers must become a vehicle for “unity, positive engagement and purposeful mobilisation” in Oyo State, insisting that its message should move beyond political gatherings into markets, homes, communities, professional circles and social organisations.
Her position reflects the broader objective of the Tinubu Torch Bearers, a women-led mobilisation and advocacy platform established to promote the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration and build grassroots support ahead of the 2027 elections.
She further called on members to educate and engage their communities constructively while promoting greater participation and recognition for women in Nigeria’s political process.
“For us in Oyo State, the Tinubu Torch Bearers must become a platform for unity, positive engagement and purposeful mobilisation,” she said.
Sarafadeen Alli also emphasised the need for decency and inclusiveness in political activities, saying members should demonstrate through their conduct that politics could be pursued with respect, peaceful engagement and a genuine commitment to the welfare of the people.
She urged members of the newly inaugurated chapter to carry what she described as the “light of hope, development, unity and progress” into every community across Oyo State.
“We are of the optimum assurance that the Oyo State Chapter of TTB will work diligently, peacefully and tirelessly to advance the ideals of the Tinubu administration and strengthen the bond between government and the people,” she stated.
Monday’s inauguration consequently marked another significant step in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 political season in Oyo, with the party increasingly focusing on grassroots structures and women as critical drivers of its mobilisation strategy.
The event also brought together key APC figures, including the party’s Oyo governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, APC National Women Leader Dr Mary Alile Idele, Oyo APC Women Leader Dr. Adekemi Felicia Opatunde and other political stakeholders.
Sarafadeen Alli expressed appreciation to the distinguished guests, party leaders, women leaders, supporters and members of the Tinubu Torch Bearers for making the inauguration memorable, while expressing hope that the occasion would herald “a stronger, more united and more purposeful” movement in the state.
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