Anambra NELFUND Beneficiaries Donate ₦10.7m for Tinubu’s 2027 Interest Form
AWKA – In a striking show of political gratitude, beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in Anambra State have thrown their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, contributing a total sum of Ten Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (₦10,735,500.00) towards the purchase of his presidential expression of interest and nomination forms.
The endorsement and financial gesture were announced on Friday during a well-attended gathering at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) in Anambra State, where student leaders, union executives, and youth stakeholders converged to declare their support for the President. The meeting was chaired by Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Chukwuemeka, Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council at the institution.
Loan Scheme Transforms Lives
Addressing the gathering, Comrade Chukwuemeka noted that the move to purchase the forms was a “symbolic expression of gratitude” for the administration’s intervention in tertiary education, which has eased the financial burden on thousands of families since the student loan scheme was established in 2024. Under the scheme, the government offers zero-interest loans to cover both tuition and upkeep allowances for students in public tertiary institutions. According to the student leader, over 983,706 Nigerian students have already benefited from the programme, with more than ₦183 billion disbursed to date.
This was corroborated by former Special Assistant to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Comrade Okoye Mathew Okpala, who described the student loan scheme as a “lifeline” for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. “The zero-interest loan scheme has restored dignity, opportunity, and hope to thousands of families across this nation. That is inclusive governance,” Okpala said.
A Direct Challenge to Peter Obi’s Stance
In a sharp criticism of the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Okpala argued that the former governor’s position on the loan scheme made him an undesirable option for Nigerian students. He cited statements attributed to Mr Obi suggesting that the student loan programme would be halted if he were elected to power. “What happens to the hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries? What happens to the students who are relying on this support to complete their degrees?,” Okpala asked rhetorically before the crowd.
He concluded that the students’ support for President Tinubu is not based on sentiment but on measurable impact and policy outcomes. “As students, we will always stand with policies that keep us in school, reduce financial burden, and secure our academic future,” he pledged.
Mobilisation Beyond the Donation
Beyond the financial contribution, the student body has also committed to mobilising over 20,000 youths and students for a second-term endorsement rally. The group also plans to engage in grassroots civic education campaigns across the South-East, a geopolitical zone where support for the ruling All Progressives Congress has historically been modest.
The student leaders extended their appreciation to Governor Soludo of Anambra State for his support for students, and to key figures of the City Boys Movement (CBM), including its South-East Coordinator, Obinna Iyiegbu, for their contributions to youth empowerment and organisation across the region.
Symbolic Support Amid a Pricey Form
President Tinubu, who assumed office in May 2023, has not yet formally declared his intention to run for re-election, but political observers see his second-term bid as all but inevitable. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has set the combined cost of its presidential expression of interest and nomination forms at ₦100 million, a fee that has drawn criticism from pro-democracy groups who argue it encourages corruption and excludes all but the wealthiest aspirants. The nomination process is scheduled to begin in April 2027.
While the students’ ₦10.7 million contribution covers only a fraction of the total form cost, the move is seen as a symbolic marker of youth support for a President whose approval ratings remain mixed after a turbulent first term marked by the removal of fuel subsidies and a cost-of-living crisis. However, for the NELFUND beneficiaries of Anambra State, the focus is singular: gratitude for a policy they say has kept them in school.
