Christian Youth Movement for Tinubu-Shettima mobilizes 1.2M members nationwide ahead of 2027 elections
The Christian Youth Movement for Tinubu-Shettima (CYM-TS) claims over 1.2 million verified members across all 36 states, FCT, and diaspora, mobilizing Christian and interfaith youths to support President Tinubu's re-election bid and APC candidates at all levels. Leader Adeleke Emmanuel states their identity stems from the 2023 election's religious tensions, aiming to show competent governance transcends faith divides while welcoming all religions.
CYM-TS will actively participate in upcoming Osun and Ekiti governorship elections through existing grassroots structures, emphasizing youth voter education on Southwest alignment with Tinubu's 'Renewed Hope' agenda. They defend administration policies despite economic hardships, praising Local Government Financial Autonomy (freeing 774 LGAs from state interference), the Nigerian Students' Loan Scheme removing tertiary education barriers, and infrastructure investments like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and FRSC empowerment.
Emmanuel specifically commended Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo for digital passport reforms and SMEDAN DG Charles Odii for youth entrepreneurship loans, both receiving CYM-TS awards. While acknowledging security and economic struggles, he frames them as necessary 'pain of structural overhaul' from ending fuel subsidies and forex distortions. His direct appeal to Tinubu: accelerate relief delivery, expand student loans to vocational schools, enforce strict LGA autonomy funding, speed CNG transition hubs, stabilize naira, and renew underperforming cabinets.
With verified presence nationwide and focus on key Southwest states, how might this organized youth bloc influence voter mobilization and policy priorities as Nigeria approaches the 2027 electoral cycle?