Remi Tinubu Confirms Donating SUVs to APC Youth Leaders Ahead of 2027 Elections

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has confirmed donating Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Wing to support grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

She disclosed this on Sunday during a campaign strategy meeting with regional APC youth leaders led by the party’s National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, at the State House in Abuja.

The confirmation followed the circulation of a video in which Israel displayed seven brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUVs, saying they had been presented to selected youth leaders to support their election mobilisation activities.

Israel later deleted the post after it generated widespread reactions online, with Nigerians questioning the reported cost of the vehicles and the timing of the donation amid economic hardship.

Speaking at the meeting, Mrs Tinubu said her office would provide campaign materials, footwear and other items to support APC youth leaders during their political activities. She also confirmed donating additional utility vehicles to facilitate their movement and strengthen their grassroots outreach.

The First Lady urged the youth leaders to concentrate on tangible political results rather than social media activity. She encouraged them to demonstrate competence, independence and versatility, develop original ideas and take initiative in their work.

Israel subsequently expressed appreciation to Mrs Tinubu for providing the vehicles, saying they would help youth leaders reach rural communities, including areas with difficult terrain in the South-east and South-west.

He said the mobilisation campaign would focus on communicating the administration’s achievements in healthcare, education and social welfare. He cited initiatives such as the student loan programme and the establishment of primary healthcare centres as examples of government interventions the youth wing intended to promote.

The APC National Youth Leader also announced plans for a nationwide mobilisation tour to publicise the administration’s programmes and seek support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. He called on groups supporting the president to coordinate their activities through the party’s official structure, naming groups such as PBAT, Door to Door, City Boy and Tinubu Again.

The donation has also drawn attention to Mrs Tinubu’s previous support for public institutions. She earlier donated 50 buses and 30 tricycles to Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, following concerns about transportation challenges on campus. The university said the vehicles were intended to improve mobility and ease students’ transport difficulties.

According to the report, attempts by Premium Times to obtain further comments from the First Lady’s spokesperson, Busayo Kukoyi, and Israel about public concerns over the vehicles had received no response at the time of publication.

The latest disclosure places the SUV donation within the APC’s preparations for grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections, while questions about the vehicles’ precise cost and the source of funding remain unanswered in the supplied report.