A new political force is taking to the streets. And it’s calling itself the Village Boys.
The Village Boys Movement (VBM), a grassroots organization backing the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has announced a two-million-man march across 15 states starting March 28—a direct counter to the “City Boys Movement” launched by President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, to drive his father’s re-election campaign.
The stage is set for a street-level showdown between two youth movements with opposing visions of Nigerian politics.
The Village Boys
The VBM describes itself as “unbought, unafraid, unstoppable”—a rebuke to what it calls the “City Boy culture” of wealth without productivity, influence without accountability, and power without service.
It’s National Village Headmaster, Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke, announced the two-million-man march in a statement on Friday, outlining a phased approach:
· Phase one: March 28, 2026, across Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Enugu, Kogi, and Edo
· Phase two: Lagos, Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Kano, Imo, and others (dates to be announced)
The movement’s core philosophy: “Wealth must follow value, power must follow service, leadership must follow accountability.”
The City Boys
The VBM is explicitly designed to counter the City Boys Movement, an organization launched by Seyi Tinubu to mobilize support for his father’s re-election bid.
The City Boys have positioned themselves as the face of youthful energy behind the APC, leveraging the president’s political machinery and financial backing to build a nationwide network.
The contrast could not be starker: City Boys, with their luxury cars and political connections; Village Boys, with their grassroots organizing and moral framing.
The Politics Beneath
Officially, the VBM says it is mobilizing for the ADC. But the political math is more complicated.
The movement emerged from supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, who have since migrated to the ADC. Its leadership has been explicit about its loyalties.
“It is either Peter Obi or nothing else for us,” Ezeoke told TheCable earlier this month.
That declaration—supporting a specific candidate while claiming to back a party—exposes the tensions within the movement. The ADC has not yet announced its 2027 presidential candidate. Obi has not publicly declared his political affiliation for the next election.
But the Village Boys are not waiting.
The Statement
Friday’s statement was careful to frame the movement in broader terms:
“At a time when various political parties and blocs, including the PDP, APC, Labour Party, and the Southern and Middle Belt Forum, are echoing the call for a Southern Presidency, the Village Boys Movement maintains that the ADC must stand firmly on the side of justice, equity, and national progress by taking the right decision at this critical moment.”
The warning was clear: the Nigerian people are “mobilised, organised, and determined to take ownership of their democratic future.”
“The demand for credible leadership in Nigeria is no longer negotiable,” the statement added.
The Police Factor
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has already banned unauthorised rallies and warned that the VBM has not formally notified authorities. Other states may follow suit.
The movement has not responded to the police warnings. But its leadership has made clear that the marches will proceed as planned.
What Comes Next
March 28 is the first test. Fifteen states will see Village Boys take to the streets. The question is whether the movement can deliver two million bodies—or whether the figure is aspirational.
The City Boys will be watching. So will the police. So will the political establishment that the Village Boys claim to challenge.
For now, the movement’s slogan captures its ambition: “Unbought. Unafraid. Unstoppable.”
Whether those words translate into actual bodies on the streets will determine whether the Village Boys are a political force—or just another social media movement with big promises and empty streets.
