The Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG), Hon. Bamidele Atoyebi, has narrated how a life-changing dream involving President Bola Tinubu influenced his educational journey, political activism and grassroots intervention programmes, describing the experience as part of a divine plan orchestrated by God.

Atoyebi, in a personal reflection titled “God Leads with a Future in View,” said the vision he received shortly after converting to Christianity in 2010 became the turning point that redirected his life from business into education, social work and political advocacy.

According to him, the dream featured Tinubu seated in an elevated position and telling him, “Had it been you went to school, we would have looked for a very juicy post for you to hold.”

The statement, he said, profoundly affected him and sparked an irresistible desire to return to school despite already earning a comfortable income from the family building materials business.

“I was making good money and had no pressing reason to return to school,” Atoyebi said. “But after that dream, the urge became irresistible. Looking back today, I can see clearly that God was directing every step with the future in view.”

He explained that his first attempt at tertiary education took him to Ifon Technical College after gaining admission through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). However, he remained determined to obtain a university degree and later sought admission into the University of Lagos through a remedial programme to study Social Work, though the effort was unsuccessful.

After leaving Ifon Tech, Atoyebi said he renewed his efforts in 2013, hired a private tutor, sat for another JAMB examination, and secured admission into the University of Ilorin to study Sociology.

The journey, however, took another unexpected turn during the admission clearance process.

Recounting the experience, he said he travelled to the university filled with excitement, only to discover that he could not be admitted into the Sociology programme because his science background did not meet the required subject combination.

“My heart broke that day,” he recalled. “Then a staff member told me there was a new course called Social Work that I could study with my qualifications. The moment he mentioned it, I immediately remembered that Social Work was the same course I had applied for at the University of Lagos years earlier.”

Atoyebi said he subsequently enrolled in the Social Work programme and graduated in 2017, adding that a statement by one of his lecturers permanently shaped his outlook on life.

“The lecturer said every social worker is a solutionist, a walking carrier of solutions. That statement stayed with me and became a guiding principle,” he said.

The BAT-IG convener explained that his professional and political engagements after graduation gradually evolved into what he now describes as “political social work,” combining grassroots development initiatives with civic and political advocacy.

He disclosed that in 2020, while operating a clearing and forwarding business, he attempted to establish a non-governmental organisation aimed at assisting stranded Nigerians abroad and supporting deportees seeking to rebuild their lives.

His long-standing interest in educating Nigerians about Tinubu’s political philosophy later inspired a proposal to establish a library dedicated to documenting the President’s ideology.

The proposal, he said, was accepted by the University of Ilorin, which allocated land for the project. However, while seeking funding, he reconsidered the concept.

“A movement is stronger than a static library,” he said. “A movement grows, adapts and survives. That realisation gave birth to BAT-Ideology.”

Atoyebi said the organisation subsequently partnered with universities and other institutions to educate citizens on what he described as the core ideology of Tinubu.

As the group expanded, its activities evolved beyond political education into community interventions, conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We began identifying wins and losses, reconciling aggrieved stakeholders, solving internal issues and bringing people back into the fold to strengthen support for President Tinubu ahead of 2027,” he said.

He noted that the organisation’s interventions have reached several communities across the country, including Rigasa, where it facilitated electricity projects and other locations where it supported military families and addressed pressing community needs.

The activist said the full meaning of his life’s trajectory became clearer when he discovered the concept of a political social worker through an online search.

“I realised that everything we had been doing matched the definition perfectly. It connected the dots between my education, my faith, my passion for politics and our grassroots interventions,” he stated.

Reflecting on Tinubu’s influence on his life, Atoyebi described the President as “a special breed” whose impact extends beyond politics.

“Even in a dream, he was influencing lives positively. The dream changed my entire direction and ultimately shaped the work we do today,” he said.

Drawing parallels between leadership and mentorship, he argued that transformative leaders leave lasting legacies through the people they empower.

He maintained that BAT-IG’s mission is centred on identifying and addressing problems in underserved communities, stressing that citizens must complement government efforts in national development.

“Our mission is to move from one community to another, identifying genuine needs and finding solutions,” he said. “Government cannot see everything. Every Nigerian has a role to play in nation-building.”

Atoyebi also recounted a recent meeting with the Managing Director of the North Central Development Commission, who expressed admiration for the group’s grassroots outreach efforts across multiple states.

According to him, the official commended the organisation for identifying policy gaps and drawing attention to neglected community needs.

The BAT-IG convener recounted that his life experiences, educational setbacks, career transitions and eventual emergence as a grassroots advocate all point to a divine purpose.

“When I look back at the dream, the disappointments, the unexpected opportunities and where I am today, I see a pattern that only God could have arranged,” he said. “The vision was always there. God was simply leading with the future in view.”