Middle Belt youths have launched a political movement in support of President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election campaign, with aviation entrepreneur and political figure Isaac Balami at the forefront of the effort.

Balami, who is also an executive board member and national director on special duty for the City Boy Movement, said the initiative was directly inspired by a meeting between President Tinubu and a delegation of prominent Middle Belt elders and leaders led by former defence minister General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

"Our fathers have spoken. They have met the father. We have equally met the son. The movement has begun. We have listened to the voices of our elders, and as young people, we believe it is time to take responsibility for the political future of our region," Balami said.

Tinubu: Middle belt youth group pledges 10m votes

Balami, who convenes the National Rebirth Movement, said he had earlier led the group to meet Seyi Tinubu, the president's son, where they pledged 10 million votes from the Middle Belt for President Tinubu. The group plans to work alongside the City Boy Movement, its director-general Hon. Francis Oluwatosin Shoga, and the APC campaign council in mobilising across the region.

The pivot is notable given that in 2023, Balami and the same group had been mandated by some of the same elders to mobilise support for Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who performed strongly in Plateau and Nasarawa states and attracted significant youth backing across the North-Central zone. Balami said a sense of abandonment following that election had prompted the realignment.

"In 2023, many of our young people came out in large numbers for Peter Obi. They believed in his candidacy and worked hard to secure support for him across the Middle Belt. But political participation is also about assessing developments, engaging with those in government and deciding where we believe our interests can be better represented," he said.

Tinubu 2027: Appointments and security drive the shift

Balami pointed to federal appointments given to people from the region, as well as steps taken to address insecurity, as key factors behind the group's decision to back the APC going into 2027.

"We have people from our region occupying important positions in this government. For us as young people, representation matters," he said, adding that infrastructure, education, employment and economic opportunity remained priorities the region expected the government to pursue.

The Danjuma-led delegation that met Tinubu on Thursday, November 5, included Defence Minister Christopher Musa, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, former House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, former Chief of Army Staff General Ishaya Bamaiyi, businessman Thomas Etuh and Dr Poju Bitrus. Dogara said the visit was meant to show solidarity with the administration and address regional concerns ahead of 2027.