There is a compelling argument to be made for the Forum of Chief Executives of Federal Parastatals (FORCEPA), not merely as another political support group ahead of the 2027 general election, but as a potentially strategic platform for connecting governance, public communication and electoral accountability.
At a time when the Tinubu administration is approaching a critical phase of its first term, the initiative by the Forum to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid is not only timely but a political masterstroke. The initiative reflects an appreciation of a fundamental truth in democratic politics: governments must not only formulate and implement policies; they must also communicate their objectives, explain their outcomes and engage citizens whose lives those policies are intended to positively impact.
The Forum’s decision to organise its members around this objective is therefore timely, purposeful and strategically significant. It recognises that the task of communicating an administration’s record should not be left entirely to political party officials, campaign spokespersons and the traditional media machinery. Those who occupy strategic positions in the implementation of government policies also possess valuable knowledge, professional experience and institutional perspectives that can enrich national conversation and help amplify the government’s strides, accomplishments and vision for the future.
This is the compelling rationale behind FORCEPA, and it is why the initiative deserves to be taken seriously.
Bridging the Gap Between Governance and Public Perception
One of the persistent challenges confronting governments is the gap between policy decisions, their implementation and the public’s understanding of their implications.
A government may introduce reforms intended to address structural economic weaknesses, improve revenue generation, strengthen institutions or create a more sustainable foundation for development. Yet, unless the rationale for those decisions is properly communicated, citizens may struggle to understand their objectives, appreciate their long-term implications or distinguish between the immediate costs of adjustment and the anticipated long-term benefits.
This is particularly relevant to Nigeria under President Tinubu.
Since assuming office in May 2023, the administration has embarked on major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of the foreign-exchange market. These decisions have generated considerable debate, while their consequences have been felt unevenly across households, businesses and economic sectors.
Supporters argue that the reforms address long-standing structural distortions. Critics, understandably, point to the hardship, rising cost of living and pressure on household incomes that have accompanied the adjustment.
In such an environment, effective communication is indispensable. Nigerians need to understand the anticipated benefits of their present sacrifices. But such communication must be more than the repetition of official statements or the celebration of policy announcements. It must explain what the government set out to achieve, what has been accomplished, what remains unfinished and how the reforms are translating into tangible benefits in the daily lives of Nigerians.
This is where FORCEPA can make a meaningful contribution.
Its members occupy positions from which they can bring practical knowledge of public-sector programmes, institutional performance and implementation challenges into the campaign conversation. Properly coordinated, this experience can help the APC and the Presidential Campaign Council develop a more informed, evidence-based and credible presentation of the administration’s record.
The Forum can therefore serve as a bridge between the government’s policy intentions, their implementation and the public’s understanding of its performance.
Why the Forum Is Necessary Now
The timing of this initiative is particularly important.
With the 2027 presidential election approaching, the political atmosphere is becoming increasingly competitive. The opposition is organising, public debate is intensifying, and competing narratives about the direction of the country are gaining traction.
In this climate, an incumbent administration cannot afford to assume that its achievements will speak for themselves. Neither can it expect that the benefits of its policies will automatically be understood or acknowledged by the electorate.
Political support is sustained not merely by the strength of a party’s organisation but also by its ability to present a convincing case for continuity, especially when the reforms have, no doubt, come with some pain. That case must be built around credible information, demonstrable outcomes and a clear explanation of what another term would make possible.
FORCEPA offers an opportunity to strengthen that case.
Rather than relying exclusively on the familiar channels of political communication, the Forum can introduce fresh professional perspectives, leverage institutional knowledge and mobilise strategic networks to strengthen the effectiveness, reach and impact of the initiative. Its members can help identify areas where government policies are producing results, where implementation requires improvement and where public understanding remains inadequate.
This is especially important in a country as large and diverse as Nigeria, where the experiences of citizens vary considerably across regions, communities and economic circumstances.
A message that resonates in Abuja may not necessarily address the concerns of a trader in Lagos, a farmer in Kwara, a small-business owner in Aba or a young job seeker in Kano. Effective communication requires an appreciation of these differences and the ability to relate national policies to local realities.
A coordinated forum of public-sector chief executives, drawing on their professional experience and knowledge of their respective sectors, can help bring that necessary depth to the conversation.
Commending the Leadership and Vision of Dr Kazeem Raji
Particular commendation is due to the Forum’s Chairman, Dr Kazeem Kolawole Raji, Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation, for providing leadership to an initiative that seeks to organise this professional and political constituency around a common objective.
The task of bringing together chief executives drawn from different federal agencies and parastatals requires coordination, persuasion and a clear appreciation of the strategic value of collective action.
Dr Raji and his colleagues deserve recognition for identifying an opportunity to contribute beyond the routine administration of their respective organisations and for seeking a coordinated platform through which their experience can be brought to bear on the broader political conversation.
The value of the initiative, however, goes beyond the personalities involved. It lies in the recognition that public-sector experience can enrich political communication when deployed responsibly, intelligently and with respect for institutional obligations.
A well-organised Forum can provide the campaign with a wider pool of technical knowledge, policy understanding and professional insight. It can also encourage a more systematic approach to identifying the administration’s accomplishments and explaining their relevance to citizens.
This is a useful contribution to a campaign that must increasingly answer a simple but consequential question: what has the administration achieved, and why should Nigerians entrust it with another term?
Otunba Biodun Ajiboye and the Importance of Strategic Communication
The contribution of Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, who chairs the Forum’s Media and Publicity Committee and serves as Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, is equally significant.
With his extensive background in media, advertising and communications, Ajiboye brings an understanding of the relationship between information, public perception and political engagement.
His experience is particularly relevant because contemporary election campaigns are fought on several fronts simultaneously. There is the conventional campaign of rallies, meetings and political consultations. There is the increasingly influential contest on television, radio, newspapers and digital platforms. And there is the equally important task of engaging citizens directly, listening to their concerns and responding with information they can understand and evaluate.
These fronts require coordination.
A government’s achievements can be obscured by poor communication, inconsistent messaging or the failure to explain how specific programmes affect ordinary people. Conversely, communication that is clear, credible and supported by evidence can help citizens make better-informed judgements about public policy.
Ajiboye’s role in shaping and driving the Forum’s media and publicity strategy is therefore pivotal to its success. He brings the strategic direction, professional expertise and communications leadership required to amplify its message, shape public perception and translate its objectives into measurable impact.
The objective should be to develop communication that is persuasive without being exaggerated, confident without being dismissive of legitimate criticism, and political without abandoning factual accuracy.
For the Tinubu campaign, such an approach would be considerably more valuable than a communications strategy driven principally by slogans and partisan exchanges.
The Presidency’s Nod: SGF Takes the Patron’s Seat
In a clear demonstration of the Presidency’s confidence in the initiative and its potential to advance its stated objectives, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief George Akume, is serving as the Patron of FORCEPA. Given his oversight responsibilities in relation to Federal Government agencies and parastatals, his association with the Forum lends the initiative institutional weight and underscores its strategic relevance. His position as Patron is also expected to facilitate the necessary high-level support and coordination as FORCEPA pursues its objectives, further reinforcing the significance attached to the initiative.
A Complement, Not a Rival, to the Presidential Campaign Council
Another positive aspect of the initiative is its potential to complement the existing machinery of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
The Forum has presented itself as a structure that can provide additional technical, communication and grassroots support rather than compete with the established campaign organisation. That distinction is important.
A successful campaign requires different capabilities: political coordination, policy analysis, media engagement, community outreach, research, election planning and the mobilisation of supporters. No single group necessarily possesses all these capabilities in equal measure.
FORCEPA can add value by concentrating on areas where the professional experience and networks of its members offer a useful advantage.
It can help organise sector-specific explanations of government programmes, identify credible information about implementation, support the development of accessible policy briefs and facilitate constructive engagement between campaign communicators and relevant experts.
Its members may also be able to identify recurring questions from communities and feed those concerns back into the campaign’s planning process.
If FORCEPA can help establish this kind of two-way engagement, its contribution will extend beyond the immediate demands of electioneering.
The Opportunity to Make the Case for Continuity
For an incumbent seeking re-election, the central argument is necessarily different from that of a challenger.
A challenger can campaign principally on promises of a different direction. An incumbent must defend a record, explain difficult decisions, acknowledge shortcomings and persuade voters that the future under continued leadership offers a better prospect than the alternatives.
This makes evidence particularly important.
FORCEPA has an opportunity to help the Tinubu campaign organise its case around verifiable achievements in areas such as infrastructure, fiscal and monetary policies, revenue administration, institutional reform, industrial development, public-sector innovation and other sectors within the responsibilities of federal agencies.
The Forum is in a vantage position to help communicate reliable data and credible, verifiable, sector-by-sector achievements of the administration to the Nigerian public. It can also help explain the challenges associated with implementing government policies and set out the administration’s responses in a manner that enables citizens to make informed assessments and, where persuaded by the evidence, support the President’s re-election bid.
Public Service, Political Participation and Institutional Responsibility
FORCEPA should ensure that its political activities are properly separated from the official functions of the agencies represented by its members. Participation must not compromise institutional neutrality where required, disrupt service delivery or create the impression that citizens must support a particular candidate to receive public services.
These safeguards are not obstacles to the Forum’s objectives. They are essential to protecting its reputation and ensuring that its contribution remains legitimate and credible.
The Task Before FORCEPA
Ultimately, the success of FORCEPA should not be measured solely by the size of its membership, the sophistication of its communication strategy or the number of votes it hopes to mobilise for President Tinubu.
Its effectiveness will also depend on whether it helps make the administration’s record clearer to the electorate, improves the quality of public engagement and encourages a more substantive conversation about Nigeria’s development.
The Forum’s proximity to the implementation of public policy gives it a potential advantage in achieving this feat. It should use that advantage to promote informed debate, credible evidence and meaningful engagement with communities.
That would distinguish it from a conventional political pressure group and give its work greater relevance to the national interest.
A Commendable Initiative With Significant Potential
The formation of FORCEPA represents an interesting and potentially valuable development in the political preparations for 2027. By seeking to coordinate the experience of federal parastatal chief executives and channel it towards a common campaign objective, the Forum has identified an area where professional knowledge, public communication and political organisation can intersect.
Dr Kazeem Raji deserves commendation for his leadership of the initiative, while Otunba Biodun Ajiboye and other members of the Forum’s leadership deserve recognition for the roles they are playing in developing its communication and mobilisation strategy.
Their challenge now is to translate the initiative’s promise into a disciplined, credible and effective platform that complements the APC’s existing campaign machinery.
For President Tinubu, the Forum offers an opportunity to strengthen the presentation of his administration’s record and explain the case for continuity. For the electorate, its activities should provide more accessible information with which to judge the government’s performance. For Nigeria’s democracy, the broader benefit would be a campaign conversation increasingly grounded in evidence, policy and accountability.
That is the standard by which this initiative should ultimately be judged.
The real strength of FORCEPA will not lie merely in its ability to campaign for another presidential term, but in its capacity to connect the work of government with the understanding of citizens. If it succeeds in doing so—while respecting the boundaries of public service and maintaining a commitment to factual communication—it will have made a worthwhile contribution to the Tinubu campaign and to the quality of democratic engagement in Nigeria.
The initiative is timely. Its potential is considerable. And its leadership deserves commendation for recognising that, in modern democratic politics, the case for continuity must be built not on political enthusiasm alone, but on a clear explanation of performance, a credible vision of what remains to be done and an enduring commitment to the welfare of the people.
-Ademola Adedoyin, fnipr, is an award-winning journalist and communication specialist.
