HOW SUPPORT GROUPS RALLIED AROUND BURATAI TO DELIVER TINUBU/SHATTIMA VICTORY.
By Comr Sadiq Jikta
BURATAI – The role of support groups in political elections cannot be underestimated, as it is fondly said “Behind any election victory support groups have played very significant role”. This declaration is confirmed in the role Support Groups played to ensure the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, hence, the role of support groups to this victory cannot be overemphasized.
The body of support Groups the Amalgamated APC support Groups (AASG) is a body established by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, to coordinate the activities of over 2000 support groups under the party.
These support groups played a significant role in the election process that led to the victory of party candidates at every level of election.
Political support groups generally promotes opportunities for political participation, it is the medium for broad range of activities, through which people express their opinions on the issues of governance, they help identify suitable candidate for elective positions, be it in local, states or in federal elections. Support group participates actively in election campaigns; they set out ways to mobilize voters to support common sets of interest, concerns or goals.
Political support groups are important element of political decision making, especially in a plural and democratic societies like Nigeria, it is agreed that politics generally involves the struggle for the control and exercise of political power, with the complex dynamics of group politics, in a plural political society, individual citizens can only best realize their ambition of influencing government policies through group participation in politics.
Political support groups influence political decision making through variety of ways, such as public education, health care delivery, human development and infrastructure, social order, lobbying as well as shaping public opinion on issues of national importance.
Political groups greatly contribute to strengthening of democracy and the democratic process by setting agenda on development issues, informing political decision makers about the need of the people, encouraging political participation and providing platforms for collective actions that lead to social and economic transformation.
Following the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress Support Groups were the first to kick starts campaign, participating actively, deploying different strategies to convince the citizens on the “Renewed Hope” through television and radio programmes, publications, organizing talk shows, printing of posters, banners, stickers, T-shirts to mention but few, they occupied media spaces – electronics, prints and the social media platforms, engaging in all forms of outreach campaigns in support of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC candidates.
With these, one would wonder how the support groups raise the funding to implement the myriad of activities. These support groups leaders tasks themselves and also solicit funding support from loyal party members, in most times they get support from their patrons and Grand patrons.
A typical example is one loyal party leader who have been magnanimous in supporting support groups to work for the Asiwaju/Shattima project, is the former Chief of Army Staff H.E. Amb. Tukur Yusufu Buratai CFR (Lt Gen Rtd) he has been up and doing in the support of support groups. During the campaign period, his popular snake farm was like a haven for support groups, I recall how in several occasion support groups troop to the farm either to make him their patron or to solicit for one thing or the other, Buratai maintained an open door to welcome support groups and stretches his arms.
H.E. Amb Tukur Yusufu Buratai CFR stands as the Grand Patron of Fusion 774 a political support and socio-economic advocacy group, a frontline support group that worked very hard to ensure the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Buratai provided resources, direction and guidance toward the activities of Fusion 774 during the campaign period. Fusion774 contributed to organized road walk for APC/ Tinubu campaign in Abuja, Cross River, Nasarawa, Adamawa and Gombe States, the group did a lot of damage control for the APC/Asiwaju and President Muhammadu Buhari government in the period of the naira redesigning policy, issues of fuel subsidy, defending the APC votes and election results in the last elections.
Elections have come and gone, it is now time for all hand to be on the deck to support the government to provide the much needed development that we all envisage, as it is only when citizen gives their unwavering support to the leaders, it is then that we can be able to call ourselves as contributing to the progress of the country.
