Lagos: By Our REPORTERS
Published, Tuesday, February 17, 2026
ROADTRANSPORT EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA’S Southwest Zone on Tuesday formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office, declaring its “unalloyed support” for his re-election bid in 2027.
The endorsement was announced at a Convergence and Endorsement Ceremony held on February 17, 2026, at Onikan Sports Arena, Lagos State under the leadership of the Zonal Chairman and National Vice President (Southwest), Rev’d Dr. Samuel Olugbenga Agbede.
The event drew prominent political leaders, labour representatives, traditional rulers, religious clerics and transport stakeholders from across the region. Among those in attendance were the Chief of Staff to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr. Tayo Ajayi; Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Special Assistant on Mobilisation, Dr. Adebayo Akintunde; Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji; governor of Ekiti State, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and Lagos APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi.
Also present were senior special assistants to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Grassroot Sports and Constituency respectively, and special advisers from Southwest states, officials of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Southwest Zonal Executives, Comrade Gbenga Ekundayo and Lagos State Chairman of TUC, royal fathers, members of RTEAN, and representatives of the press.
In its communiqué, the Association traced its origin to 1933 when it was founded as the Nigeria Motor Transport Union (NMTU), noting that early nationalist figures such as Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Herbert Macaulay were associated with its founding era.
The body later became the Nigeria Motor Transport Owners Association (NMTOA) before evolving into its present form in 1978 under the Trade Union Act.
The Southwest Zone emphasized its commitment to due process, transparency, collective consultation, and institutional integrity, stressing that its decision followed extensive reflection and assessment of national developments, while urging both the government and public to ignore the staged managed endorsement that took place some time ago.
According to the communiqué, the endorsement was anchored on what members described as President Tinubu’s “visible courage, responsibility, strategic foresight, and commitment to long-term national renewal.”
Key areas cited included economic stabilization, infrastructure expansion, and reforms in the energy and transport sectors.
The Association highlighted reported growth in foreign reserves and improving investor confidence indicators. It also pointed to ongoing strategic road projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry–Sokoto Highway as evidence of infrastructure renewal.
In the transport sector, the body commended the advancement of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative aimed at reducing transportation costs, as well as efforts to address fuel scarcity and empower transport operators nationwide.
The motion for endorsement was moved by Comrade Bolarinwa Aderinwa, Ondo State Chairman of RTEAN, and seconded by Comrade Adeola Sunday of Ekiti State. The consensus voice vote was supervised by the Zonal Chairman, Comrade Agbede, and adopted unanimously through a formal voting procedure.
The Lagos State chapter of the Trade Union Congress expressed solidarity with the decision, indicating that broader labour constituencies were aligning with the President’s second-term bid.
The Southwest Zonal Coordinator of the TUC, Comrade Gbenga Ekundayo, also affirmed confidence in the leadership direction adopted by RTEAN.
In its resolution, the Southwest Zone pledged to mobilize members and resources across Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states in support of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The communiqué further resolved to work in synergy with stakeholders to promote sustained national development and political stability, and to communicate the endorsement widely across constituencies.
Signatories included Rev’d Dr. Samuel Olugbenga Agbede and Comrade Tiwalade Akingbade, Deputy National Secretary General (Southwest Zone).
The endorsement, the Association noted, represents “a structured commitment to continuity, reform consolidation, and shared purpose,” adding that leadership performance, where deemed progressive, should be acknowledged and supported.
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