Politics: Nigeria
A Yoruba socio-cultural group in Ekiti State has urged voters in south-west Nigeria to back President Bola Tinubu for a second term in the 16 January 2027 election.
The Afenifere Renewal Group, a Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, has endorsed Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for a second term, about nine weeks before the presidential election on Saturday 16 January 2027. Its Ekiti State chapter issued the endorsement in a communiqué made public on Wednesday 11 November 2026, after an extended meeting in the state capital, Ado Ekiti.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, and the Yoruba, one of its largest ethnic groups, live mainly in the south-west. Afenifere is a long-standing Yoruba socio-political organisation, and the Renewal Group’s name echoes it, but how the two relate is not clear to us.
Key Facts
—Who. The Afenifere Renewal Group, a Yoruba socio-cultural group with a chapter in Ekiti State.
—What. It endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term and urged Yoruba voters to support him.
—When. Communiqué made public Wednesday 11 November 2026; the presidential vote is Saturday 16 January 2027.
—Why. The group cites national unity, North-South balance and policies of the Tinubu government.
—Open. How the group relates to Afenifere’s own leadership is not known.
What the Group Said
The communiqué was signed by the group’s Ekiti State Coordinator, Bunmi Awotiku, and its Public Relations Officer, Michael Ogungbemi. It calls Tinubu’s re-election necessary to complete an eight-year, two-term tenure and so protect Nigeria’s unity.
The group also argues that a second term keeps the balance of power between the North and the South of the country. It urges Yoruba voters and allies to vote in large numbers for Tinubu.
The Reasons Behind the Endorsement
The group says it backs Tinubu because of his government’s removal of the fuel subsidy, which ended state support for petrol prices, its support for a State Police Bill, which would let states run their own police, and its push for financial independence for local governments. It also points to the student loan fund, road projects and funding for a regional commission for the south-west.
These are the group’s own claims about the record, and we have not assessed each one. Tinubu won the 2023 election and is seeking a second term.
Who Is Afenifere?
Afenifere is a long-standing Yoruba socio-political organisation, and the Afenifere Renewal Group calls itself a Pan-Yoruba group, meaning one that speaks across Yoruba communities in several states. The group says it is still awaiting directives from its own founders on a proposed merger of Pan-Yoruba groups.
Yoruba voters are concentrated in the south-west, so endorsements from groups there carry symbolic weight. They do not, on their own, show how people will vote.
What It Means for Readers Abroad
For investors and diplomats, the endorsement is a small sign of how the ruling party is lining up regional groups ahead of the vote. Nigeria’s election date is set, so each endorsement now feeds the campaign narrative rather than changing it.
More on the contest is in our report on the ruling party’s campaign council, our explainer on Afenifere and our Nigeria news page. Each page gives background on the actors named here.
What Is Not Known
We could not confirm how many members the Afenifere Renewal Group has, or how it relates to Afenifere’s own leadership. We also did not find an opposing view from a named Yoruba leader dated after the communiqué.
The next checkpoint is the run-up to Saturday 16 January 2027, the date set by Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC. Governorship and state assembly elections follow on 6 February 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is backing Tinubu for a second term in this story?
The Afenifere Renewal Group, a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, backed him in a communiqué from Ado Ekiti. It was made public on 11 November 2026.
Is this the same as Afenifere?
Not necessarily. Afenifere is a long-standing Yoruba socio-political body, and how the Renewal Group relates to it is unclear, so this is not reported as Afenifere’s own decision.
When is Nigeria’s next presidential election?
The electoral commission set it for Saturday 16 January 2027. Governorship and state assembly elections follow on 6 February 2027.
Why does the group back Tinubu?
It cites completing two terms to protect national unity and North-South balance. It also praises fuel subsidy removal, local government autonomy and road projects.
Sources: Afenifere Renewal Group, Ekiti State chapter, communiqué made public on 11 November 2026 and reported on 12 November, signed by Bunmi Awotiku and Michael Ogungbemi; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), revised 2027 general election timetable (inec.gov.ng).
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