BY: NEWS DESK, NOVEMBER 07, 2026/ 09:56AM

Abubakar Abdulazeez, popularly known as Bolori, a member of the Borno State Football Association and the Borno State Football Club Owners Association, has launched a mobilisation drive using football to rally youths in Borno State behind the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Bolori who is also a member North East youth mobilization directorate of the presidential campaign council said football was chosen as the platform for the campaign because it remains the biggest gathering point for young people in the state.

According to him, football brings together youths from different backgrounds, wards and local government areas more than any other activity, making it an effective medium to engage, sensitise and mobilise them for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in the upcoming presidential election.

Bolori is said to enjoy strong acceptance among youths in Borno because of his long-standing involvement in grassroots football and youth development. Having worked closely with young players, club owners and supporters over the years, many youths see him as one of their own and trust his judgement on issues that affect their future.

He is also expected to leverage the popularity of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who hails from Borno State, to convince youths that the Tinubu/Shettima ticket has a direct stake in the development, peace and progress of the state.

Bolori believes this local connection, combined with the administration's youth-focused programmes, will make it easier to persuade young voters to support the ticket's re-election.

Through the State Football Association and the Club Owners Association, Bolori is engaging football clubs, players, supporters and youth groups across Borno, using matches, tournaments and football-related activities to spread the campaign message.

He noted that youths constitute the largest voting bloc in the state, and their active participation would be decisive in the forthcoming election.

The mobilisation, he said, is aimed at ensuring that young people in Borno understand the programmes of the Tinubu/Shettima administration and turn out en masse to vote for its continuity.

Bolori added that the campaign would continue across the 27 local government areas of the state through grassroots football structures.