- Folasade Tinubu-Ojo summons nationwide market unions, informal sector workers, and civil groups for an expansive mobilisation push in the federal capital.
- Lagos chapter guarantees 1m ballots as organisers deploy community-level machinery across trading hubs.
Across Nigeria’s sprawling open-air stalls and bustling commodity hubs, the informal commercial sector is stirring into an organised political formation as the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Chief Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, coordinates a massive grassroots rally scheduled for Thursday, October 29, in Abuja.
The gathering brings together market women, traders, artisan guilds, professional groups, and civil society organisations under a unified political tent, designed to anchor early ground support for the Tinubu/Shettima administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Behind the assembly lies an ambitious electoral objective: assembling a reliable voting bloc of 10 million citizens drawn directly from the economic everyday fabric of market sheds, motor parks, workshops, and neighbourhood trade unions across the country.
Organisers are framing the initiative not merely as a routine political display, but as an institutional alignment of grassroots commerce with national governance, leaning into the daily community influence wielded by market leaders.
Mobilisation networks have begun moving across commercial districts, with coordinated units along the Ikeja-Iyana Ipaja trading corridor in Lagos engaging stallholders, neighbourhood associations, and artisans to secure broad representation for the Abuja event.
In Lagos State, the ground operations are being marshalled by the state chapter coordinator, Barrister AdeJombo, who is overseeing an outreach drive aimed at penetrating major trading communities and artisan associations.
The Lagos structure has formally committed to securing one million votes for the ruling All Progressives Congress, positioning community-level merchants and workshop operators as frontline mobilisers in neighbourhood voter contact.
According to the campaign leadership, the template being executed in Lagos is serving as the blueprint for coordinators across the remaining 35 states, establishing an interconnected chain of community mobilisers spanning regional supply routes and rural markets.
The coordinating team pointed out that market women and informal tradespeople represent the vital economic backbone of ordinary Nigerians, maintaining that their daily interactions with millions of consumers grant them an unparalleled capacity to shape grassroots civic choices.
Addressing state leaders and union delegates, Tinubu-Ojo stressed that achieving the 10-million-vote milestone requires methodical groundwork, urging market executives and civil society partners to verify information channels and prevent disruptions.
She urged eligible members of the trading community to verify their voter registration status with electoral authorities, noting that civic enthusiasm must translate directly into valid ballots at polling stations on election day.
The Iyaloja-General insisted that all participating contingents must adhere strictly to public-safety regulations and work closely with law enforcement agencies to guarantee an orderly assembly in the capital.
Logistics teams are currently finalising interstate transit points, convoy routes, and regional departure protocols, with comprehensive travel advisories expected to be distributed through designated trade union channels over the coming hours.
