For years, young people in Bauchi State have supported the APC with passion and loyalty, but largely without a structured platform to call their own. That support was real, but it was scattered. Many felt abandoned by elites who engaged them only during elections, leaving a gap between the party’s national vision and the realities of young people at the grassroots.
That narrative began to change with the emergence of the City Boy Movement, CBM, under the patronage of Barrister Seyi Tinubu. With his involvement, the entire atmosphere around youth politics in Nigeria shifted. Suddenly, there was energy, identity, and hope a movement that made young people feel seen, heard, and included in the conversation of nation-building.
The City Boy Movement was not just a name. It came with leadership and direction. To drive the national agenda, Francis Shoga was appointed as Director-General of the CBM. His mandate was clear: build a movement that would mobilize youths across the country for the renewed hope agenda. In many states, however, youths could only watch from a distance.
Access to national leadership was limited, and state structures were slow to take off. Bauchi State was not an exception. Until recently, there was no visible CBM anchor on the ground who could bridge Bauchi youths with the national leadership and give the movement local meaning. That changed with the emergence of Lumana Halan Bayero, popularly known as El-Bee Halan as Bauchi State Coordinator, who also served in an acting capacity as State Coordinator after the exit to Hon. Bala Kashuri.
El-Bee Halan’s rise was not accidental. His popularity first broke through on social media and quickly moved into mainstream conversation. He became a household name across Bauchi and beyond, and even featured on national television, including the popular morning show on Arise Television, where the discussion around the “G-wagon guy” put him on the national radar.
More importantly, he identified openly and consistently with the City Boy Movement, both in Nigeria and during his engagements across Europe. Wherever he went, he carried the CBM identity with him. That visibility gave Bauchi youths something they had long lacked: a face, a voice, and a representative who could speak their language while engaging at the highest levels.
What set El-Bee Halan apart was not just visibility, but presence. While others waited for invitations, he positioned himself as Bauchi’s representative in the national leadership of the movement. He attended virtually all major functions at the CBM Headquarters in Abuja and showed up at CBM events in other states of the Federation. That consistency earned him the trust of the national team and, more importantly, the massive support of Bauchi youths who saw one of their own holding the line for them at the center. In a political space where access is everything, El-Bee Halan made sure Bauchi was no longer watching from the sidelines.
His capacity to organize and inspire was further demonstrated in June, when he anchored the Future Forward Conference in Bauchi. The conference became one of the most talked-about youth gatherings in the State and Northern Nigeria in recent years. It redefined how young people in Bauchi see politics not as name-calling or empty rallies, but as a platform for ideas, skills, and engagement. The Future Forward Conference proved that El-Bee Halan understands both the frustrations of young people and the solutions that can mobilize them. It gave the CBM an intellectual and civic footing in Bauchi, beyond slogans.
The real turning point came on Thursday, 23rd July, 2026, with the inauguration of the 20 ICT Local Government Marshals of the City Boy Movement in Bauchi State. The event was led by Robert Chenge, the Chief of Staff to the Director-General of the City Boy Movement, and held at Yimmir Hotel, Bauchi. For the first time, every local government in the state had a structured CBM presence. The atmosphere was electric. From the venue to a one-million-man march that moved from the inauguration ground to the CBM state office in Bauchi, the energy was unprecedented. Youths who had only heard about the movement online now saw it, touched it, and walked with it. Perception changed that day. CBM was no longer an Abuja idea. It was a Bauchi reality.
That inauguration did more than launch ICT marshals. It restored confidence. For many young people, it was the first time they felt part of a national movement that was physically present in their state. As someone who has followed this journey from a distance, I witnessed history being made: a platform where the name and vision of the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, is now directly connecting with youths in Bauchi. That connection matters because it closes the gap between national leadership and grassroots aspiration. It tells young people that their state counts, and that their votes and voices will be organized, not taken for granted.
El-Bee Halan’s capacity lies in three things: visibility, organization, and loyalty to the movement’s ideals. He has shown he can attract attention, convert that attention into structure, and sustain engagement without drifting into politics of insults. He understands that the City Boy Movement must be about issues, opportunities, and inclusion. That is why youths across Bauchi have rallied behind him. They see in him a leader who can translate the patronage of Seyi Tinubu into real programs, mentorship, and mobilization at the local level.
Today, Bauchi State stands at a critical moment ahead of 2027. The APC needs a youth structure that can deliver votes, defend the party’s record, and expand its base. With the State Director already appointed, the CBM in Bauchi now has formal leadership and momentum. To consolidate this progress, it is both strategic and timely to fully integrate El-Bee Halan into key roles within the Bauchi State CBM. Over the past 7 months, he has built structures, relationships, and goodwill across the state that the movement can immediately leverage. Assigning him critical responsibilities will ensure that existing work is not lost, and that the movement builds on the foundation already laid.
Therefore, as one of the leaders of the youths in Bauchi State, I respectfully call for the integration of Lumana Halan Bayero, El-Bee Halan into critical leadership roles within the Bauchi State City Boy Movement. This is not about titles, but about results. It is an action plan to strengthen the movement, reward sacrifice, and maximize our chances of delivering Bauchi State for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and for all other candidates of the APC. The youths are ready, the structure is in place, and with El-Bee Halan brought fully into the fold, we will deliver.
Going forward, Bauchi youths are looking up to the National leadership and to El-Bee Halan to deepen and expand the structures of the City Boy Movement from the state level, down through the 20 Local Governments, and into every ward and polling unit. The foundation has been laid with the inauguration of the 20 Local Government Marshals, but the real work now is grassroots penetration. With El-Bee Halan’s proven capacity for organization, visibility, and follow-through, the movement can be fully decentralized and made active in every community. His leadership style, accessible, energetic, and consistent, gives Bauchi youths confidence that CBM will not remain a state capital project, but will become a true people’s movement across the state.
El-Bee Halan has the capacity to contribute significantly to the 10 million votes targeted by the City Boy Movement nationwide. His track record of mobilization, from the Future Forward Conference to the one-million-man march after the marshals’ inauguration, shows he understands how to turn enthusiasm into structure and structure into results. With the deployment of ICT Marshals for registration and data capture, Bauchi State is positioned to be among the frontline states in the CBM’s national plan. Under a structure that integrates his experience and existing network, Bauchi will not only meet its targets; it will also become a reference point for other states, a model of how youth mobilization should be done when the right people are at the helm of affairs.
This template makes it clear that El-Bee Halan is not in competition for any leadership position. His mission is bigger than titles. He is out to give the youths of Bauchi State a credible platform to organize, engage, and work for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. Beyond the 2027 election, he is also committed to building a bridge that synergizes with local politics by connecting highly placed stakeholders in the state with the energy and numbers of young people.
His goal is simple: to ensure Bauchi youths are not just campaigners during elections, but stakeholders who are carried along in governance, opportunities, and decision-making. It is my prayers and best wishes from a distance that leveraging the structures El-Bee Halan has already built over the last 7 months will bring the City Boy Movement even closer to the people. With ICT Marshals inaugurated in all 20 LGAs and a massive grassroots network already tested, the movement now has a foundation to expand from state to ward and polling unit levels.
I believe that integrating this existing structure will encourage more youths to buy in, mobilize their communities, and deliver for the party. When young people see one of their own being recognized and utilized, it builds trust, sustains momentum, and turns enthusiasm into real votes for President Tinubu and all APC candidates.
Makama Writes From Bauchi Via
