By Hotgist9ja News Desk | Politics | Breaking News
Photo Credit: Punch Newspaper
Over 2,000 commercial motorcycle operators from all 18 local government areas of Ondo State showed up in Akure on Tuesday and did something that has set Nigerian political social media buzzing — they formally declared their support for President Bola Tinubu's re-election in 2027.
On the surface, it is a straightforward political endorsement story. A group backs a president. It happens every week in Nigeria.
But dig a little deeper — listen to exactly what the ACOMORAN chairman actually said at the ceremony — and the story becomes something far more interesting. Because the reason he gave for the endorsement is not what you might expect. And the plea he made to Tinubu in the same breath as the endorsement captures something that is genuinely Nigerian — something that is funny and painful and real all at the same time.
Let us get into it.
What Happened In Akure — The Full Story
The Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria — ACOMORAN — assembled its members from across Ondo State's 18 local governments at the office of the Asiwaju Mandate Group in Akure. Over 2,000 riders turned up. Banners were displayed. Speeches were made. And at the end of it all, ACOMORAN formally declared its readiness to work for Tinubu to achieve what their chairman called a "landslide victory" in Ondo State in the 2027 presidential election.
The state chairman of ACOMORAN, Mr. Akinlolu Olumonrin, addressed the gathering — and his opening remarks contained the kind of honesty that you rarely hear at a political endorsement ceremony.
"We tried a lot to make ACOMORAN visible in Ondo State. We wrote many letters and even sued the government, but we did not achieve anything. We discovered that if we go through the President, then it may come to reality — that is why we decided to fully support Tinubu for the second time in Nigeria."
— Akinlolu Olumonrin, ACOMORAN Ondo State Chairman, speaking at the endorsement in Akure
Read that carefully. The chairman is not saying they endorsed Tinubu because of his economic reforms or his infrastructure projects. He is saying — we tried everything else, nothing worked, so we are going through the President to get what we want for our union.
It is, as Nigerians would say, a whole gist in one paragraph.
The Plea That Came With The Endorsement
And then — in what may be the most Nigerian moment of the entire ceremony — ACOMORAN's chairman endorsed Tinubu for re-election and in almost the same breath appealed to him to address the very economic policies that have made life harder for transport operators like okada riders.
"We believe there is hope and that things will improve very soon, but we want the President to help find solutions to the hike in prices."
— Akinlolu Olumonrin, ACOMORAN Ondo State Chairman
So the riders are endorsing the president. While asking him to fix the fuel prices that are making their daily work almost unsustainable. At the same time.
If that does not capture the complexity of Nigeria's political moment in 2026 — nothing does.
The Asiwaju Mandate Group's Involvement — The Bigger Picture
The endorsement ceremony was hosted at the office of the Asiwaju Mandate Group — a pro-Tinubu political organisation — and its Director-General Olumuyiwa Asagunla made a remark that revealed more about the mechanics of the endorsement than perhaps intended.
"They approached us, the Asiwaju Mandate Group, and said they have seen the good work of Honourable Tunji-Ojo. They initially mentioned mobilising 5,000 people, but I advised that we start with 2,000 so they can come out and show their support."
— Olumuyiwa Asagunla, Director-General, Asiwaju Mandate Group
Asagunla also cited the ongoing infrastructure projects in Ondo as evidence of why the endorsement was justified — pointing to road dualisation projects around Ore and Akure, and ongoing construction between Ilesha and Benin and between Akure and Ondo.
"One way or the other, they can see ongoing infrastructural development. Roads around Ore and Akure are being dualised. The road between Ilesha and Benin is under construction, and work is also ongoing between Akure and Ondo."
— Olumuyiwa Asagunla, Director-General, Asiwaju Mandate Group
He predicted that the joining of ACOMORAN to the Asiwaju Mandate Group would strengthen the APC and improve the party's chances in the 2027 elections in Ondo State.
The Okada Riders' Struggle — Why Their Support Matters And Why It Doesn't
To properly understand what Tuesday's endorsement means, you need to understand who okada riders are in Nigeria's political and economic landscape.
Commercial motorcycle operators represent one of Nigeria's largest informal sector workforces. ACOMORAN's own national leadership has estimated that over 40 million Nigerians depend directly or indirectly on the okada business for their livelihoods. They are not a marginal group. They are a massive constituency — largely poor, largely young, largely male, and historically politically marginalised.
They have been banned in Lagos. They have been restricted in Abuja. State after state has imposed curfews and route limitations on them — citing security concerns that the riders themselves argue are exaggerated. Their unions have sued governments. They have written letters. As their Ondo chairman confirmed on Tuesday — none of it produced results.
In that context, the decision to align with the ruling party and the president is not naive politics. It is a calculated survival strategy by people who have run out of other options. If being visibly pro-Tinubu gets their union formally recognised, their routes protected and their members' livelihoods secured — then from their perspective, the endorsement is a rational investment.
Whether that investment pays off is another question entirely.
The 2027 Endorsement Wave — A Pattern Emerging
Tuesday's ACOMORAN endorsement in Ondo is not an isolated event. It is part of a growing wave of organised endorsements that are building around Tinubu's 2027 re-election campaign — driven by a combination of genuine support, political calculation and the kind of transactional alignment that has always characterised Nigerian electoral politics.
On the same day as the Ondo okada endorsement, the All Progressives Grand Alliance — APGA — formally declared its intention to support Tinubu for a second term, saying in a statement: "We cannot isolate ourselves."
In Ogun State, 11 socio-political groups also endorsed Tinubu's re-election bid at a separate ceremony in Abeokuta.
The Bowen Tinubu Organisation's Director-General has already predicted a Tinubu landslide in the South-West — saying "Despite claims by the opposition, Nigerians can see the impact of the president's work."
With INEC having formally confirmed the 2027 presidential election date as January 16 — as we reported in our coverage of INEC's revised electoral guidelines — the 2027 campaign is already underway in earnest, even if few Nigerians are thinking about elections while dealing with the daily pressures of fuel prices, inflation and the ripple effects of the Middle East war.
The Opposition's Silence — And What It Means
One notable absence from Tuesday's political landscape is a serious, organised opposition response to the growing wave of Tinubu endorsements. The PDP remains internally divided. The Labour Party, which swept urban Nigeria in 2023, has struggled to maintain its momentum. And the smaller parties are either defecting to the APC or positioning themselves for alliances.
The political analyst community has noted that endorsements — especially from informal sector groups like okada riders — rarely translate directly into election results. What matters is voter registration, turnout and the availability of credible alternatives on the ballot. None of those factors have yet been determined for 2027.
What Tuesday's events do confirm is that the 2027 campaign machine is running — quietly, systematically and with considerable organisational sophistication — while most Nigerians are focused on surviving today's economic challenges.
What Nigerians Are Saying
"The okada riders endorsed Tinubu and in the same sentence asked him to reduce fuel prices. This is the most Nigerian thing I have read all week."
— Twitter/X user
"They said they wrote letters, sued the government and nothing worked — so they endorsed the president. Pure Nigerian political strategy. Respect the hustle."
— Facebook user, Lagos
"Whether you like Tinubu or not — 2,000 okada riders from 18 LGAs showing up for any event is political organisation at the grassroots level. That is real mobilisation."
— Twitter/X user
"These okada riders are suffering from the same fuel prices Tinubu's policies produced. And they are endorsing him for a second term. Politics is a strange thing in Nigeria."
— Instagram comment
"I respect their honesty though. At least they said the truth — we want our union recognised, so we are supporting the president. No pretending about ideology or policies."
— Twitter/X user, Abuja
Key Facts At A Glance
| Detail | Fact |
| Organisation | Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) |
| State | Ondo State |
| Number of riders present | Over 2,000 from all 18 LGAs |
| Venue | Asiwaju Mandate Group office, Akure |
| ACOMORAN Ondo Chairman | Mr. Akinlolu Olumonrin |
| AMG Director-General | Olumuyiwa Asagunla |
| Key demand alongside endorsement | Federal Government to address rising fuel prices |
| 2027 Presidential Election date | January 16, 2027 |
In Pidgin — As Naija People Dey See Am
The okada riders of Ondo State don endorse Tinubu for 2027. Over 2,000 of them show up from all 18 local governments. Big event, big attendance, big statement.
But the chairman talk something wey make plenty Nigerians pause and re-read.
E say — we write letters, nobody answer. We sue government, we lose. We try everything to make our union official. Nothing work. So we decide — make we go through the president. If we support am, maybe our union go come to reality.
That na the real reason. Not performance, not ideology — survival strategy.
And in the same speech, the same chairman turn around and beg Tinubu to please do something about the fuel price hike wey don nearly kill their business.
So dem endorse am. And dem beg am. At the same time.
Na Nigeria we dey. And the 2027 campaign don start in earnest — whether ordinary Nigerians ready or not. 🦅🇳🇬
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Sources: Punch, New Telegraph, The Nation, Vanguard, Politics Nigeria