2027 General Elections: Celebrities, Socialites Rally Behind Tinubu’s Re-election Bid
As the 2027 general elections draw closer, several celebrities and prominent socialites have openly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, further shaping conversations around the 2027 general elections across the country.
President Tinubu already enjoys the backing of most governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the build-up to the 2027 general elections appears to be gathering momentum earlier than expected.
Recall that ahead of the 2023 presidential poll, the former Lagos State governor received massive endorsements from figures in the entertainment and sports industries. That trend seems to be resurfacing as the 2027 general elections approach.
Popular celebrities, including Seyi Law, Eniola Badmus, Toyin Abraham, Olaiye Igwe, and Lege Miami, had publicly supported him in the past. Now, as conversations around the 2027 general elections intensify, more influential names are stepping forward.
Among those who have declared support are Obinna Iyiegbu, known as Obi Cubana, Pascal Okechukwu, also called Cubana Chief Priest; Cletus Oragwa, known as Zenco; Yul Edochie; Emmanuel Philip; Bolanle Ninilowo; Zack Orji; Adeniyi Johnson; and Seyi Law. The endorsements have added fresh political undertones to discussions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The celebrities have aligned under the City Boys Movement, a political association championed by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The movement is increasingly visible as the 2027 general elections draw closer.
Obi Cubana has reportedly been appointed as the South East Zonal Coordinator of the City Boys Movement. Other coordinators have emerged across zones, states, local governments, and wards, with the responsibility of mobilizing young entrepreneurs who believe in the Tinubu project ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, some critics argue that certain socialites from the Southeast are turning their backs on former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who has also indicated interest in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on the growing support base of the president, Comrade Engr. Dr. Eragbe Anslem Aphimia, National Youth Leader of the Labour Party, said Tinubu understands how to cultivate people in line with his aspirations.
Anslem Aphimia said, “The 2027 general elections are here already, and President Tinubu has gone ahead to infiltrate almost all sectors of our human endeavors: security, INEC, political parties, government across states, legislatures, judiciary, entertainment, etc., bringing people from different sectors into believing in his 2027 presidential realization and mobilizing them to that effect.
“Nigeria is tilting towards a near one-party state because President Tinubu understands something that most politicians do not understand.
“PBAT was the most formidable opposition leader in Nigeria from 1999 to 2023 before he became president of Nigeria.
“He led the most formidable opposition against incumbent presidents and also saw to it that a sitting president was defeated at the polls. He came to power by that same scheme, which many people did not understand and may not understand till after the 2027 general elections.
“Certainly, influencers have also been mobilized for action ahead of time. And that alone is a major pointer to shaping narratives for the general elections ahead of 2027. Discussions, however negative, will dominate the airwaves to keep PBAT on the front burner of mobilization of human and material resources.”
On his part, APC chieftain Eze Chukwuemeka Eze questioned the motive behind the formation of the City Boys Movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“To answer the question on how far this movement can go, the most I can say is that this is a movement against the masses of Nigeria who are being punished with poverty, insecurity, and hunger by the evil policies of President Tinubu.
“With the coming of the Village Boy Movement, I am convinced that whatever agenda that the City Boys Movement will come up with will surely be checked and curtailed.”
He further explained that the movement was founded as a youth advocacy platform to promote Tinubu’s re-election and has since expanded nationwide ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“From my findings, this was a movement founded by some young men, suited, confident, and well-funded by Seyi, the son of President Tinubu, to promote the re-election of his father.
“This movement has emerged as grassroots engagement vehicles designed to recruit, sensitize, and retain political loyalists nationwide.
“These structures are not merely symbolic; they are built to onboard citizens, digitally and physically, into the president’s development vision, effectively converting governance messaging into political capital.
“From my observation, what makes this machinery potent is its multi-layered funding and influence on architecture. State-aligned politicians defend federal policies locally.
“However, if Renewed Hope is the ideological umbrella, the foot soldiers of that umbrella are movements like the City Boy structure, arguably one of the most organized youth-driven political mobilizations in contemporary Nigerian politics.
“The City Boy Movement did not begin as an afterthought. It was formed in 2022 as a youth advocacy and mobilization platform supporting Tinubu’s presidential ambition, deploying national executives, state leaders, local coordinators, and ward canvassers across the country.
“I have watched its expansion since the elections, and what stands out is its refusal to dissolve after victory. Instead, it institutionalized itself.
“Today, the movement operates across all 774 local governments, focusing on political education, grassroots engagement, and policy advocacy tied to the Renewed Hope agenda. That kind of structure is not built for celebration; it is built for continuity, and ultimately, for 2027.
“Even more revealing is its patronage and elite backing, which exposes deeper political financing layers. The grand patron of the movement is Seyi Tinubu, the president’s son and a businessman with strong corporate and youth engagement networks.
“His involvement symbolizes how political succession, youth mobilization and elite financing intersect within the same movement.
“Beyond symbolism, financial empowerment programmes, grants, and youth interventions tied to the movement and its allies have been deployed in several states, blending political loyalty with socio-economic incentives.
“When empowerment meets political branding, what you get is not just supporters; you get beneficiaries with electoral memory.”
Also reacting, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, a public affairs analyst, said President Tinubu has not hidden the fact that his government serves the interest of the privileged class as debates ahead of the 2027 general elections continue.
“If Cubana and the City Boy Movement want to entrench themselves in the Privileged class it only makes sense for them to associate themselves with Tinubu’s campaign.
“Unfortunately for them however, they represent a very small percentage of the voting public- probably 2% of the electorate of the South East geopolitical zone,” Pearse said.
“It is difficult to see how their celebrity status will convince the hungry and unemployed citizens of Nigeria to vote for the reelection of Tinubu, who in his first term as President has made life worse for them than ever before.
“Tinubu has deepened their poverty, increased the rate of unemployment, increased the cost of living beyond affordability, and made their life unsafe.
“The general public in Igboland would rather listen to Nnamdi Kanu than to Cubana and his City Boys Movement, knowing that Kanu has always stood for the common man, while Cubana and co are only interested in what they can benefit and how they can protect their wealth.
“Entertainers are paid to entertain, not to lecture on life’s choices.
“Cubana and members of the City Boy Movement will draw a crowd when they come out to campaign for Tinubu, especially if they accompany their presentation with bags of rice and such palliatives.
“Remember the actress whom Lagos State PDP fielded as a deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 election. She boasted of 15 million followers on Facebook. At the election, she didn’t have 15 thousand votes,” he added.
Beyond celebrity endorsements, President Tinubu’s camp has also witnessed political realignments as the 2027 general elections approach. Several governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party have defected to the APC, reshaping the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta moved from the PDP to the APC earlier in the year. Reports also indicate that Duoye Diri of Bayelsa and Peter Mbah of Enugu, alongside other former PDP members, have joined the ruling party.
There are also rumors that Taraba State governor Agbu Kefas may be considering a defection, a development that could bring the number of governors backing President Tinubu to about 30 as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
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