President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the January 2027 general elections, with former Zamfara State governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, appointed Director-General of the campaign.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was named secretary, while President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will serve as chairman and vice chairman respectively. APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, will also serve as vice chairman. Blueprint reports
The composition of the campaign council was announced on Saturday in a State House statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy and coordinating director for Media and Strategic Communication of the campaign council.
The announcement formally sets up the ruling party’s campaign machinery as it prepares to defend the presidency in the 2027 election.
Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State and serving senator, will coordinate the activities of the presidential campaign council as Director-General.
His appointment places an experienced political operator at the centre of the APC’s efforts to mobilise support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket across the country.
Uzodimma, who is also chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, will serve as secretary and will work with APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, and Hadiza Bala-Usman, who were appointed deputy secretary and assistant secretary respectively.
The council will also be supported by a body of senior advisers comprising former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; veteran politician and journalist, Chief Segun Osoba; former Imo State governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha; former APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.
The campaign structure also gives prominent roles to the leadership of the National Assembly and governors.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni have been appointed deputy directors-general for the southern and northern campaign structures.
They will work with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau in coordinating the two broad regional blocs.
Former Edo State governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has been assigned responsibility for mobilisation as deputy director-general, while the President’s Chief of Staff will serve as deputy director-general for administration.
The appointments reflect the party’s attempt to combine its national political leadership with a broad regional mobilisation structure ahead of the election.
James Abiodun Faleke, who played a prominent role in the APC’s 2022/2023 presidential campaign, has also returned to the campaign structure.
Faleke was appointed deputy director-general for election planning, coordination and monitoring.
He will work with zonal directors covering the six geopolitical zones.
Senator Olushola Adeyeye will coordinate the South-West, Dr Ngozi Olejeme the South-South, and Senator Uche Ekwunife the South-East.
In the northern zones, Muntaqha Rabe will oversee the North-West, Ahmed Muhammed Ketso the North-Central and Senator Sani Danladi the North-East.
Stella Okotete, Engineer Abdullahi Garba Ramat and Audu Maikori were named secretaries of the election planning directorate.
The campaign council has also created a legal directorate to provide legal support and advice throughout the electoral process.
Muiz Adeyemi Banire will serve as director of the directorate, with Dr Liman Hassan and Babatunde Ogala as deputies.
Other members include Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; former Katsina State governor Ibrahim Shema; Worgu Boms and Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh.
The legal team is expected to play a major role as the party navigates the legal and electoral issues that may arise before, during and after the 2027 polls.
The media and strategic communication directorate will be coordinated by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi.
He will work alongside Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa-Onilu.
Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and Felix Morka were appointed coordinating deputy directors within the media directorate.
Abdulaziz AbdulAziz, Temitope Ajayi, Arabinrin Aderonke and Frederick Nwabufor will serve as coordinating secretaries.
Segun Dada will return as Director of New Media, a position he occupied during the 2022/2023 presidential campaign, while Solomon Arowolo will serve as secretary of New Media.
The campaign has also appointed five spokespersons, with Alake as lead spokesperson. Others are Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.
President Tinubu iimplored members of the campaign council to work tirelessly towards securing victory for the APC in the January 2027 elections.
He also urged leaders of the various directorates to reach out to other party members who were not formally listed but could contribute to the campaign.
The President said the administration had delivered on its campaign promises and placed Nigeria on the path of economic progress, appealing to the campaign team to make the government’s achievements central to its message to voters.
“We have delivered on our campaign promises and set our country on a path of economic progress,” Tinubu said.
He added that the country was now at a point where Nigerians could begin to benefit from what he described as the gains of a more prosperous economy.
“As we march into the campaign season, we have many achievements to trumpet,” the President said, urging members to “confidently showcase our record and inspire hope in every corner of our nation.”
Tinubu also called on the campaign team to defeat what he described as forces seeking to take the country backwards.
The constitution of the campaign council marks a significant step in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 presidential contest.
With Yari being head of the campaign machinery, Uzodimma overseeing its secretariat and senior figures from the presidency, National Assembly, governors’ forum and party leadership occupying strategic positions, the APC has now established the structure through which it intends to prosecute its re-election campaign.
The party will now be expected to translate the newly announced structure into a nationwide mobilisation effort, while its media and strategic communication teams work to present the Tinubu administration’s record to voters.
The January 2027 election is expected to be a major test of the strength of politics of APC and its ability to defend the presidency after nearly four years in office.