President Bola Tinubu has reportedly ordered the withdrawal and reconstitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections.
CityNews understands that this followed the controversy that has greeted the initial roaster released by the Presidency on Saturday.
According to TheWill, Tinubu gave the directive following concerns from senior members of the ruling party that the composition failed to adequately accommodate key stakeholders and did not sufficiently reflect the hierarchy, geographical spread and political structure of the party.
Sources revealed that the President directed the Presidency, the leadership of the National Assembly and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to withdraw and review the initial composition and address the identified gaps before a new list is released.
According to the sources, Tinubu was embarrassed by the lapses uncovered in the list and particularly concerned about the need for a campaign structure capable of bringing together the party’s major stakeholders and political actors ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
A source said: “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 initial campaign list, to be headed by former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, as Director-General, generated concerns within the party over the absence of several prominent APC members who are regarded as important political stakeholders in their respective states and regions.
Among the major issues raised was the exclusion of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Under the initial arrangement, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was named a Deputy Director-General for the Southern campaign, alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, while Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, and Deputy Senate President, Jibril Barau, were assigned coordinating roles.
Stakeholders in the APC argued that the designation appeared to place the Senate President in a campaign structure alongside or below other officials of the National Assembly who ordinarily rank differently in the constitutional hierarchy.
The sources told the aforementioned publication that the new arrangement would need to resolve the perceived imbalance and ensure that the leadership of the National Assembly is properly integrated into the campaign hierarchy.
Also missing from the initial list is the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo (SAN) who served as a prominent spokesman and Director of Public Affairs in the APCs 2023 presidential campaign.
The controversy also reinforces an earlier report by TheWill on prominent APC members with direct experience in presidential campaign management who were not included in the initial roaster.
They include former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who served as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 election; Festus Keyamo, a senior advocate and former EFCC prosecutor, who was one of the most prominent campaign spokesmen; and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who served as Director of Stakeholders Relations in the 2023 structure.
Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who served as National Youth Coordinator during the 2023 campaign, was also not included in the initial council.
Other notable omissions include former Ogun State Governors, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, and former Edo State governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The omission of Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has also emerged as a major point of concern. Okpebholo has been a prominent political voice in the APC’s mobilisation for Tinubu’s re-election and is regarded as an important component of the party’s growing political strength in the South-South.
However, the decision to review the campaign list has revealed no indication that Tinubu has withdrawn the appointment of Yari as Director-General.
