One of the vital lessons from the ongoing APC primaries is that they have opened the door for those who are genuinely the people’s choice and possess the true capacity to lead. This stands in sharp contrast to the previous selection method dictated by party elites. Under that old system, imposed officeholders frequently underestimated the weight of their positions, leading to widespread disrespect and the blatant mismanagement of resources meant for community development and welfare of party members.

History shows that leaders who rise to power through top-down selection often discard the ladder they used to ascend. They quickly forget that the rungs of that ladder were the very party faithful and local leaders who hoisted them to the peak. Once secure in their positions, these officials disconnect from the base that sustained them, severing the vital bond between the leadership and the grassroots. Special thanks to the president for making this happen, being the visionary that he is, he has seen and heard the voice of the people in the grassroot calling for proper representation.

This should also be extended to political appointees, such as Ministers and Managing Directors of agencies. Currently, many of these appointees become completely alienated from the public, hiding behind gatekeepers and the dismissive phrase, “Do you have an appointment?” Extending a rigorous vetting process to these roles would curb the practice of hoisting outsiders into high offices while loyal, hardworking party members are neglected and left behind. Countless visits of mine was blocked by lack of access to these ministers which led to inability to relay the policy gap that was notice.

My personal encounter with a woman at the Tinubu Support Group (TSG) office last year highlights a significant gap in our current structure. Upon arriving, I found the building’s toilet in such bad condition that it needed washing. I approached the secretary when a woman in her early 40s was sitting beside her, I spoke to the secretary and offered 5,000 naira for someone to clean it. The woman sitting beside her immediately volunteered to do it , and after I paid her, she opened up about her struggles for the party and the suffocating financial hurdles she was facing. This moved me to support her with 100,000 naira. Unfortunately, her story of neglect is not unique; during my travels to villages for party reconciliation and BAT-ideological work, I met many grassroots faithful who felt abandoned, claiming “baba don forget us for here.”

I know that Asiwaju is not a man who uses and dumps his people; he is a philanthropist who solves the problems of those who can reach him. From securing jobs for critics’ son to helping people attain political seats or helping someone to recover debt of 20 million naira, his track record is endless. The real problem lies with the representatives assigned to manage these relationships. As President, he cannot be everywhere, which is why I developed the BAT-Home-Cell concept. This innovation ensures that party members exist within a structured group, allowing the party to track exactly who has worked and who hasn’t benefited from their loyalty.

This lack of support makes our members vulnerable to opposition narratives. Recently, after a social media post, a woman working for a top APC official replied with “lori iro” (all lies). When I reached out, she confessed that she was struggling with unpaid school fees and rent. I supported her with 200,000 naira, which changed her perspective. Similarly, I encountered a woman whose four adult children are all unemployed graduates despite high test scores. In another instance at a bank in Abuja, a BAT-IG member expressed total frustration with the government due to power outages and fuel costs. After 30 minutes of education, I realized her issue was not just financial, but a lack of proper orientation that made her susceptible to social media misinformation.

What is clear is that our members at the community level are being manipulated with as little as 2000 naira, and a cheap political debate of “una APC, you dey buy fuel for 150 abi” with some even going as far as saying “when you are done buying fuel with your money to charge your phone, come and defend your government” all these statements are anthem of the “Obidient” movement and other oppositions. They even go as far as asking if APC members are going to a cheaper hospitals, schools, forgetting that it was this government that introduced NELFUND which millions of people have enjoyed, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is also there, Lagos-Calaba highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Super highway which has boosted the economy is also there. Since Tinubu assume office, state and local government has been able to pay salary of workers under them, the oppositions fails to see all these.

Many believe that PDP is superior in this regard because they prioritize their own members for appointments, whereas we have seen individuals like Adelabu receive appointments after contesting under other parties, while loyalists like Senator Teslim or Mama Taraba are not carried along. While not everyone can have an appointment, every member have a sense of belonging inand valued.

To ensure the party functions effectively beyond 2031, we must adopt a more institutionalized approach. I propose creating specialized departments within the party including emergency, welfare, health care, policy and capacity building department. By integrating BAT-IG into these structures and utilizing the BAT-Home-Cell strategy, we can protect our members from being bought by the dubious tactics of the opposition. The party needs this strategic advice to maintain its strength, and I remain fully available to help execute this vision.

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Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting