High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is driving a grassroots political mobilisation campaign aimed at strengthening support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The initiative, known as the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, is built around direct engagement with voters at the community level, taking the campaign message beyond rallies and social media platforms.
Tompolo, who initiated the movement, has called on its members and coordinators to take the campaign directly to households, markets, wards and communities across Nigeria.
The movement’s approach reflects an attempt to build a broad grassroots network capable of connecting Tinubu’s re-election campaign with voters at the local level.
Tompolo Backs Door-to-Door Mobilisation
The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement was formally inaugurated with national executives and coordinators tasked with commencing mobilisation activities across the country.
At an earlier inauguration in Abuja, APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda urged members of the movement to engage voters directly, arguing that elections are ultimately won through grassroots contact rather than television and social media campaigns.
Tompolo, who is the initiator of the movement, said the organisation would begin nationwide mobilisation in support of Tinubu’s second-term bid.
The strategy places considerable emphasis on reaching voters in their homes and communities and communicating the administration’s policies and achievements directly to them.
Expansion Beyond the Niger Delta
One notable feature of the campaign is its effort to extend Tompolo’s political influence beyond the Niger Delta.
In September, the movement was launched in Katsina State, marking its expansion into northern Nigeria. Thirty-four local government coordinators were inaugurated during the event, with campaign vehicles presented to them to support their mobilisation activities.
Tompolo also donated 34 campaign vehicles to the movement in Katsina, with each vehicle assigned to a local government coordinator.
The organisers said the coordinators would take the Tinubu campaign to wards, communities, markets and households across the state’s 34 local government areas.
Katsina Governor Dikko Umar Radda also expressed support for Tinubu’s re-election bid and described the state as a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress.
Why the Grassroots Strategy Matters
With the 2027 presidential election approaching, grassroots mobilisation is expected to play an important role in the campaigns of political parties and support groups.
Nigeria’s large electorate is spread across thousands of communities, making local political structures essential for voter engagement and mobilisation.
For the PBAT movement, the door-to-door strategy provides an opportunity to engage voters directly while relying on local coordinators who understand the concerns and political dynamics of their communities.
The movement’s expansion into states outside Tompolo’s traditional South-South base could therefore become significant if it succeeds in establishing functional structures across different regions.
A Test of Tompolo’s Political Reach
Tompolo’s involvement also gives the movement a distinctive political identity.
His longstanding influence in the Niger Delta and his business and community connections have made him a prominent figure in the region. His decision to lead a nationwide grassroots campaign for Tinubu represents an effort to translate that influence into a broader political mobilisation structure.
However, the effectiveness of the initiative will ultimately depend on whether its growing network can convert organisational activity into genuine voter support when Nigerians go to the polls in 2027.
For now, the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement is positioning itself as one of the grassroots groups seeking to build support for Tinubu ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive presidential contest.
