2027: Uzodinma Says Renewed Hope Ambassadors Remain Intact Despite Campaign Council

Imo State Governor and Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Hope Uzodinma, has dismissed reports suggesting that the organisation has been dissolved following the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

Uzodinma, who addressed an emergency meeting of the group in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Renewed Hope Ambassadors remained fully operational and would continue to carry out the mandate given to it by President Bola Tinubu.

The governor said the meeting became necessary following growing concerns among state coordinators and members, fuelled by what he described as the activities of “mischief makers” spreading claims that the organisation would cease to exist ahead of the 2027 election.

According to Uzodinma, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors was created directly by the President and has a responsibility that goes beyond the activities of an election campaign structure.

“Renewed Hope Ambassadors was created by Mr President, not by Senator Hope Uzodinma, and upon the creation of Renewed Hope Ambassadors, we were charged with the responsibility of taking the achievements of the government of President Bola Tinubu to the people, to educate the people, to create awareness, to let the people know the difference between the Nigeria before 2023 and Nigeria after 2023.”

He explained that the group was already undertaking a media tour across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to promote awareness of the Tinubu administration’s policies and achievements.

Uzodinma maintained that the establishment of the Presidential Campaign Council had not changed the mandate, status or operations of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors.

“I’ve invited you to let you know that nothing has changed. The constitution of the presidential campaign council is a political issue that happens every time there is an election.

“Renewed Hope Ambassadors, you are the organic structure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. You will still function and play your role even after elections,” he said.

Drawing a distinction between the campaign council and the ambassadors’ group, the governor described the former as an election structure with a temporary mandate, while insisting that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors would remain in place beyond the polls.

“The presidential campaign council, which all of us are members of, will come and be used for election purposes. And after that, we will continue. We are not going anywhere.

“You are like the barracks. Soldiers will come, soldiers will go, the barracks will remain.

“Mr President has told me to tell you that nothing has changed, and Renewed Hope Ambassadors is still there.”

Uzodinma also announced plans for a major political summit expected to hold in the third week of September.

He said the gathering would be organised in collaboration with the Progressive Governors Forum and local government chairmen and would bring together elected and appointed political officeholders from across the country.

According to him, President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are expected to address participants at the summit.

The Imo State governor said reports that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors was being targeted for dissolution in some states had made it necessary to immediately reassure members about the future of the organisation.

“I’m told that some mischief makers in some states wanted the Renewed Hope Ambassadors to be dissolved.

“It became very worrisome. That is one of the reasons why I called for this meeting, that you are strong.

“I’m aware that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors have offices in all the 36 states, including Abuja and the six geopolitical zones. So we are still here.”

Uzodinma also rejected suggestions of rivalry between the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the newly constituted Presidential Campaign Council.

He pointed out that his own positions in both structures demonstrated that they were expected to work together towards the same political objective.

“If anything, I am the Director-General of Renewed Hope Ambassadors, I’m the Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council, I’m the head of secretariat.”

He added, “So there is no way we will be beating our chest when we have drummed a bit. Rest assured and go home.

“There is no fight, no quarrel. Our product is the President, and our commitment is to go there and win the election.”

Calling for broad-based mobilisation ahead of the election, Uzodinma said the campaign effort would require support from Nigerians across every part of the country.

“We are not driving anybody away, but we are Renewed Hope Ambassadors. This is the presidential campaign office. We are going to work with the presidential campaign council.

“We need every vote in Nigeria. Every vote. There is no bad vote. Once you are Nigerian and able to vote for President Bola Tinubu, we need the vote.”

Speaking on behalf of the national coordinators, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim said the clarification provided by Uzodinma had helped address concerns that could have resulted in confusion among members.

“Without communication, there would be miscommunication or even misunderstanding.

“We are only expecting to be guided on how to go about whatever we are doing, because the product is one, and it’s only a good product that everybody would want to sell.”

Anyim said members remained committed to ensuring the success of Tinubu’s re-election bid, irrespective of the structure or organisational arrangement adopted for the campaign.

“Our faith in our product is actually the driving force, and we sustain that faith anyhow, whatever it takes for us to put in our best for our candidate to win the election.

“That is our concern. Every other thing about arrangement, organisation, and all that, whatever form it takes, we are here,” he stated, adding that members looked forward to reconvening for the September summit Uzodinma had announced.

Also speaking, the National Director of Logistics and Support, Shehu Usman, said the briefing had helped answer questions being raised by members in different states following the formation of the Presidential Campaign Council.

“We’ve been asked in various states what our fate is, what we do, and I feel that this briefing actually serves that purpose.

“We thank you very much, and hopefully look forward to working a very good relationship with the Presidential Campaign Council.”

Uzodinma, who was recently appointed Secretary of the newly constituted Presidential Campaign Council, was joined at the meeting by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Dr Sunday Dare; the Director-General of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and other prominent members of the group.