By joshua 
The All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate,
Distinguished Senator Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu
Thru:
Chief Bayo Onanuga,
Director of Media Committee,
Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.
Dated: 16th, December, 2022
Your Excellency,
SUPPORT GROUPS NATIONAL LEADERS CRY OUT FOR RECOGNITION AND ENGAGEMENT
We wish to draw attention of your Excellency to the fact that up to this moment, the National Leaders of the support groups working at the grassroots for your success at the polls have not been recognized, or, assigned any role to play by the Presidential Campaigns Council, PCC.
We think, that this being a great disconnect between the groups, apart from having the potential of adversely affecting the campaign activities, could also jeopardize the much desired success for the principals and the party at the polls.
It would appear that little, or, no attention has been paid to the fact that the support group leaders occupy critical positions, who’s roles as supervisory bodies could go a long way in determining the success, or, failure of our party at the general elections. Nothing should be done to undermine them in this campaign project.
The level of trust and understanding between the State Coordinators and National Officers of the various support groups should be leveraged upon by the PCC for maximum impact, as against the current situation where the groups do not have proper supervision from their leaders at the national level.
There’s need for the PCC to workout a synergy between the support groups and their national leaders for seamless mobilisation activities at the grassroots.
This can be achieved by involving the national leaders of the groups by quickly setting up a Support Group Leaders Directorate within the Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.
We do note, that the PCC, has already created a support group directorate, but, the problem here, is that the national leaders of the various groups, have not been factored into this arrangement.
This is the great disconnect, which we feel can only be remedied by further creating a special directorate of the support groups leaders to feel the gap.
It is risky, to assume that the support groups at the states and grassroots, can be adequately deployed without direct supervision of the leaders of these groups.
This directorate will oversee the direct supervision of the support groups in the states, local governments down to the wards and polling units, where each group has set up structures for the campaigns and grassroots mobilization.
It is important to remind us all that these groups were formed and programmed under different templates and therefore can only function properly when the officials at the national levels are involved with their management.
The current situation where the groups are keyed into the campaigns at the states, without their national leaders, being part of the supervision process, tantamounts to trying to drive a car without its manual, the consequences of which can be better imagined.
The advantage of setting up the Support Groups Leaders Directorate, in addition to ensuring a seamless process of deployment of groups at the grassroots, will also ensure accountability with the application of resources and campaign materials.
It becomes very easy for the PCC, to hold the leaders of the groups accountable for the management and application of resources and campaign materials in the field.
These demands, are being made not out of the sheer scheming for personal gains, but, quite frankly out of our genuine commitments towards ensuring that the project 2023 succeeds.
At various times, we had tried to seek audience with PCC officials to lodge our complaints, it was always one excuse, or, the other.
Either, the relevant officials were too busy to attend to us, or, we were told to go back to our states to mobilize at the grassroots.
But to us, these are excuses that fail to take cognizance of the inherent complications in directing national leaders of the support groups to head back to their states to work.
The national officers, do not need to go back to their states to work, since, the responsibility for state coordination are already with the state officials.
The control system for the groups at the national level is necessary to ensure proper and effective coordination of the campaign activities. This fact, must be clearly understood and factored into the campaign plans and strategies.
We do not see how the PCC can effectively deploy the support groups without the active engagement of the founders, who exercise direct control and enjoy the confidence and trust of their officials at all levels.
Our members at the grassroots will be more convinced and ready to put in their best, when they see that their leaders are involved at the national level and can be reached at anytime for consultations on challenges that they may encounter in the fields.
It is our hope that these issues would be given the prompt and due attention for the collective good of all.
We are all great stake holders, as patriotic members of the All Progressives Congress, APC and are prepared to give our best towards ensuring that our party wins the 2023 general elections landslide.
Sincerely yours,
Muhammed Mubarak Alabi,
National Secretary,
Jagaba National Coalition, JNC
For and on behalf of all the Registered Support Groups in Nigeria.