President Bola Tinubu has taken a swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), thanking the opposition party for keeping him awake as he rallied support for his re-election bid ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Tinubu made the remark on Monday in Abuja while addressing members of the CityBoy Movement and the Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN) group.
“Some people thought by now I would be tired and sleepy since I arrived here on time, thank you ADC,” the President said.
The comment comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerging as the ADC’s presidential candidate.
Tinubu expressed confidence in the mobilisation capacity of the support groups, saying their grassroots structures would strengthen his political prospects and enable him to rest easy.
He commended the CityBoy Movement for adopting what he described as a new approach to political mobilisation, noting that its activities extended beyond gathering supporters at political events to building an organised membership network.
“The CityBoy Movement, to all of you, you have done something new in Nigerian politics. You did not just gather people; you built a structure, millions of real, verifiable members,” he said.
The President said the movement had established a presence across states, local government areas, wards and polling units, describing its organisational structure as important to effective grassroots engagement.
He also praised the group’s call centre and CityBoy Care initiative for engaging young Nigerians and responding to community needs.
“You drilled down; a call centre that speaks to young Nigerians every day and listens to whatever their community needs. CityBoy Care, meeting members where they live,” Tinubu added.
According to the President, the initiatives demonstrate a mobilisation strategy focused on sustained community engagement rather than publicity alone.
He said the support groups’ efforts to reach residents and address local concerns had strengthened his confidence in their ability to mobilise support ahead of the next general election.
Tinubu concluded that with the movement maintaining its grassroots operations, he could return home and “sleep soundly.”
