President Bola Tinubu has ordered the reconstitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections following widespread concerns over the exclusion of several senior party leaders and experienced campaigners from the initial 223-member list, TheWill reports exclusively.
According to the report, the President’s directive followed complaints from senior APC stakeholders that the composition did not adequately reflect the party’s hierarchy, geographical spread and political structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
TheWill, citing senior party sources familiar with the development, reported that Tinubu directed the Presidency, led by his Chief of Staff, to work with the leadership of the National Assembly and the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to review the list, identify the gaps and produce a broader and more balanced campaign structure.
One of the sources was quoted as saying the President was particularly concerned that experienced members of the party had little or no input in the final composition of the initial council.
“The President was shocked and surprised that there was limited input from key and experienced people in the party in the final composition of the campaign council,” the source said.
The controversy erupted barely hours after the Presidency announced the initial council, with former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, named Director-General of the campaign.
TheWill reported that Yari’s appointment is, however, expected to remain intact, with the review focused largely on the composition and balance of the council.
Among the omissions that triggered concern was that of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, regarded as the highest-ranking political office holder from the South-East and a key APC figure in the region.
The absence of Kalu, alongside questions over the representation and ranking of National Assembly leaders, reportedly heightened concerns about whether the structure sufficiently reflected the institutional and political realities of the ruling party.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio was named Deputy Director-General for the Southern campaign, alongside House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, while Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Deputy Senate President Jibril Barau were assigned coordinating responsibilities.
According to TheWill, party stakeholders questioned whether the arrangement appropriately reflected the constitutional hierarchy and political weight of the National Assembly leadership, particularly the position of Akpabio as the country’s third-highest political office holder.
The initial list also excluded several APC members with direct experience in presidential campaign management, including Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN; former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong; and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Keyamo played a prominent role as spokesman and Director of Public Affairs during the 2023 APC presidential campaign, while Lalong served as Director-General of the party’s 2023 Presidential Campaign Council and Ribadu headed the Stakeholders Relations directorate.
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who served as National Youth Coordinator during the 2023 campaign, as well as former Ogun State Governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun and former Edo State governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, were also absent from the initial list.
The omission of Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, also generated concern among party stakeholders, particularly given the strategic role governors are expected to play in mobilising support and delivering their states for the President in 2027.
TheWill reported that the review was not necessarily about individual appointments but about ensuring that the campaign machinery accommodated the party’s major political actors, governors, National Assembly leaders, experienced campaigners and influential stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones.
Tinubu, in his message to members of the initial campaign council, charged them to work towards securing victory for the APC while urging the various directorates to bring other party members into the campaign effort, including those not formally listed.
The President also directed the campaign team to focus on the achievements of his administration and its economic reforms in its engagement with Nigerians.
“We have delivered on our campaign promises and set our country on a path of economic progress. We are definitely out of the dark tunnel and are now at the cusp of reaping the benefits of a prosperous economy that will benefit all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
He added: “As we march into the campaign season, we have many achievements to trumpet-let us confidently showcase our record and inspire hope in every corner of our nation.”
The reconstitution is expected to produce a campaign council capable of commanding wider confidence within the APC and strengthening the party’s political machinery as it prepares for the 2027 presidential contest.
