Political movements are established to build support, unite interests and strengthen a leader’s political base. They should not become instruments for pushing people away because of disagreements over individual candidates.
The reported suspension or expulsion of Mogaji Oyeyemi Abiola of the Agoro Dynasty and Barrister Toyese by the City Boy Movement in Oyo State raises serious questions about the group’s political strategy.
If their offence was refusing to support other APC candidates because of concerns about their performance, then the movement must explain why disagreement over othe APC candidate should be interpreted as opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
Supporting Tinubu does not automatically mean supporting every APC candidate. These are two different political considerations, and the distinction deserves respect.
If the movement is genuinely committed to Tinubu’s re-election, its priority should be expanding the President’s support base, not creating divisions among people who may share that objective. Where members disagree, dialogue and persuasion should take precedence over exclusion.
Tinubu’s political journey has demonstrated the importance of building alliances and accommodating different interests. Those who claim to represent his political movement should reflect on whether their actions promote that approach or undermine it.
The question is simple: what does the movement gain by alienating influential members when political unity and wider mobilisation should be its priority?
The City Boy Movement must understand that leadership is not measured by how many people it can suspend, but by how many people it can unite behind a common objective.
If Tinubu’s re-election is truly the priority, then the movement must reconsider any strategy that unnecessarily turns potential allies into opponents. Political maturity requires dialogue, inclusion and the wisdom to distinguish disagreement over a local candidate from opposition to the President.
Ultimately, the objective should be to build a stronger coalition for Tinubu, not to create avoidable divisions in his name.
