BAT-IG: My Motivation, Trajectory and Divine Guidance with Future in View

The impact of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on my current actions particularly in advocating for grassroots communities and supporting his administration is far more complex than many realize. Most people assume it is just about creating political awareness, while others think it is merely for show. Today, I want to take you through the true journey of what motivates me.

As a young man who had just finished secondary school, I went straight into the family business, dealing in the sale of building materials. The spark that changed my life ignited in 2010 when I converted to Christianity. Shortly after, I had a dream. In this dream, I saw Tinubu, He was seated close to me but he was occupying a very high position. He looked at me and said, “Had it been you went to school, we would have looked for a very juicy post for you to hold.”

This struck me hard. I began seriously thinking about returning to school, even though it had been years since I graduated from secondary school. Before that dream, I had the intention to return eventually, but the urge wasn’t there because I was making good money from the business. My mindset at the time could be perfectly captured by the Yoruba proverb: “Mọn wa owo lọ, o pade iyi lọna” (I was in search of wealth, but I met honor along the way). As someone from the village, I wondered why I should bother going back to school when I was already making money. But after that dream, the urge became irresistible.

Not long after, I sat for the JAMB exam. The score wasn’t great, but I still gained admission into Ifo Tech. I attended the school for about a year, but I never felt comfortable there. I only managed to push through because of the dream I had. I made a firm promise to myself that I would not settle for anything less than a university degree, especially given the dichotomy that existed and still exists where people view other tertiary institutions as inferior to universities. Even while attending Ifo Tech, I applied to the University of Lagos through their remedial program, choosing Social Work as my course. Keep in mind, I was a science student, but I desperately wanted to cross over to the social sciences because of my burning passion for politics. Unfortunately, that program was not successful.

Something happened along the way that led me to leave Ifo Tech around 2011 and return home. I sat down and thought deeply about where to go from there. I finally resolved to pick up another JAMB form in 2013 (and as we all know, JAMB results are only valid for one year). I hired a personal tutor to teach me at home while I prepared. When exam day arrived, I took it and scored very well, gaining admission into the University of Ilorin to study Sociology.

When the day for clearance came, I boarded a “korope” (shuttle bus) heading to the University of Ilorin. Anyone familiar with UNILORIN knows the feeling the campus is incredibly far from the main gate. As we drove toward the main campus, I was filled with absolute joy. When the bus stopped, I paid the driver and asked a student at the school park, “Please, where is the Department of Sociology?” He pointed the way, and I thanked him.

On getting there, however, my heart broke. I was told that I could not be cleared to study Sociology because I was a science student and lacked the required subject combination in both JAMB and my O-Levels. Seeing the devastation on my face, a man in the office told me, “There is a new social science course called Social Work that you can study with your current subject combination.”

The moment he mentioned the course, I had an instant flashback. I realized it was the exact same course I had applied for at the University of Lagos through their remedial program years prior, which hadn’t worked out. The man directed me to the Social Work department, where I was successfully cleared. During my studies, a lecturer made a statement that stuck with me forever: “Every social worker is a solutionist a walking carrier of solutions.”

As a believer and follower of Christ, I also wanted to bring spiritual solutions to human lives, as that is often the most troubling aspect of existence. From my days as a student until after my graduation in 2017, I engaged in various businesses. In 2020, while running my clearing and forwarding business, I tried to establish an NGO. Its primary focus was to help Nigerians who were stranded abroad without means of returning, as well as deportees who needed support to restart their lives.

I have always possessed a deep passion for education, specifically a passion to educate people on how Tinubu executes his political activities. Initially, what I had in mind was a library a dedicated space where people could come to read and learn about Tinubu. This vision almost became a reality; I pitched the idea to the University of Ilorin, and they accepted it, even assigning a piece of land for the construction. However, while sourcing for funds, a light bulb suddenly went off in my head: How about a movement and a support group instead of a static library? A movement is much stronger, dynamic, and it doesn’t die easily.
That was how the BAT-Ideology was born. Through this movement, we partnered with different universities to ensure we train people on the core ideology of Asiwaju.

As the movement grew, we began identifying the wins and losses of Tinubu, reconciling aggrieved people, solving internal issues, and ensuring people are brought back into the fold of the APC to secure victory for Tinubu in 2027. All of this made the vision clearer. The dream I had, the struggles at Ifon Tech, the missed opportunity at UNILAG, and the sudden shift from Sociology to Social Work at UNILORIN leading me to what I now do as political social work made me realize that everything had been perfectly orchestrated by God all along.

As the movement expanded, we began identifying communities facing various hardships. Our interventions stretched from Rigasa where we facilitated electricity to the community to where we stepped in to support the families of our nation’s military heroes, to Isoko South, Isoko North, Afon, and many others. The vision had always been there, but it became crystal clear one day when I stumbled on the term “political social worker.”

I pulled out my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from my pocket, swiped up to open the menu, launched the Chrome browser, and searched for the term. The results made everything click perfectly. I discovered that all the grassroots activities we had been engaging in fit precisely into the definition of a political social worker.

I often tell people that Tinubu is a special breed. Even in a dream, he was making an impact and influencing lives positively. It reminds me of how Elisha’s bones resurrected the dead body buried beside him, or the powerful testimonies shared by the followers of Bishop Oyedepo. Oyedepo said “When I want to start ministry, God told me: Don’t raise money, raise people. The people you raise today will contribute all the money you ever need” Tinubu also operate the same ideology. Take the testimonies from Alhaji Tejumade, for instance: from how Tinubu provided a job for the son of one of his strongest critics, to the time Alhaji took a struggling politician to Asiwaju’s house and rescued his political career, to the medical assistance Tinubu rendered to Alhaji’s mother-in-law when she was in dire need of heavy medical attention Tinubu literally gave the woman his personal hospital card. Alhaji Lai Mohammed shared his own testimony as well, stating that Asiwaju is someone you cannot fight because he is a uniquely gifted human being he also said he’s an incurable optimist, he will push and support you until you succeed.

A true contributor to human development will always be viewed as an institution that needs to be preserved by all means. Just a few days ago, I was reading about how Chief Obafemi Awolowo envisioned the future of Nigeria. He predicted the precise dangers the country is running into today, yet in his time, he was laughed at and labeled a prophet of doom. These men are truly special.

Our mission as BAT-IG is to go from one community to another, solving people’s real-world problems. Recently, when I met with the Managing Director of the North Central Development Commission, he remarked in amazement: “You mean you guys go from one community to another, from one state to another, looking for where people lack and solving their problems even in my own state?” I replied, “Yes.”

He responded, “This is awesome.” He noted that the government cannot see everything, and commended us for identifying policy gaps and directing attention to them. He was incredibly impressed. As Nigerians, we must realize that we cannot leave everything in the hands of the Federal Government. We all have a vital role to play together.

Oyedepo’s ministering growing massive is not as result of luck, it’s a divine gift from God, Oyedepo was named richest pastor in the world in 2010 and he has stopped receiving salary long ago, the book he is writing, he doesn’t take money from it. May people will be curious about his source of wealth, it is from people he has mentored, these people do donate, send gift and other things, same with how Tinubu, he impacted my life through the dream and now I’m giving back to his administration through my various intervention programs, grassroot advocation and all.

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