President Tinubu Shakes Up Political Landscape, Orders Fresh Campaign Council List

An All Progressives Congress (APC) Solidarity Group has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ordering a fresh compilation of names for the 2027 Presidential Campaign Council. This directive by President Tinubu is seen as a crucial step to address significant concerns that arose from the initial list, which was perceived to exclude key stakeholders and did not adequately reflect the broad coalition and institutional hierarchy instrumental to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement signed by its president, Alhaji Ibrahim Audu, and secretary, Sylvester Hassan, the group applauded the President’s decision, describing it as clear evidence of his willingness to listen to constructive criticism and implement corrective measures when genuine concerns are raised. The group highlighted President Tinubu's consistent demonstration of capacity to act in the overall interest of the party and the nation, a leadership quality they greatly admire. This move has reportedly restored confidence among genuine stakeholders, ensuring they will be given a sense of belonging within the party structure.

The group expressed strong confidence that President Tinubu would ensure all identified shortcomings are meticulously addressed to establish a campaign structure that commands the confidence of stakeholders across the country. They asserted that the priority for the fresh compilation should be the establishment of a campaign council that embodies competence, unwavering loyalty, extensive political experience, regional balance, and institutional inclusiveness. These attributes, they stressed, are absolutely essential for President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. The group firmly stated that this period is not for self-interest or for any single group to claim exclusive ownership of the government, but rather a time for collective effort in the interest of the party and to secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. They emphasized that a successful outcome in 2027 will necessitate unity, inclusion, and the collective strength of the entire APC family, rather than the dominance of a select few.

While acknowledging the positive step, the group also commended the appointment of former Zamfara State governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, describing it as one of the strongest aspects of the initial list. Yari was lauded as one of the APC’s most formidable grassroots mobilisers and an experienced political strategist with extensive national reach, whose capacity to galvanise support across the North and beyond would significantly strengthen the President’s re-election campaign.

However, the group expressed deep concern over the reported exclusion of several prominent figures from the initial council. These figures include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; former Director-General of the 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Simon Lalong; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; and former Minister of Aviation and Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode. The group argued that the omission of these individuals, who are considered frontline political actors and played significant roles in the emergence of the Tinubu administration, has generated considerable resentment among certain stakeholders. They noted that these individuals have consistently defended the government and the APC.

The exclusion of Femi Fani-Kayode was particularly questioned, with the group highlighting his unwavering support and vocal defense of the administration even before his nomination as Ambassador-Designate to South Africa. Both Fani-Kayode and Keyamo were specifically cited for their roles as key campaign spokesmen, aggressively defending candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu against opposition criticism throughout the 2023 Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign. Similarly, Nuhu Ribadu was noted for consistently defending the administration while serving in one of the country’s most sensitive offices.

The group further described the collective exclusion of Keyamo, Fani-Kayode, and Reno Omokri as a potential strategic setback, asserting that these three individuals have become prominent communicators who have consistently engaged the opposition, effectively dismantled false narratives, and defended the administration with facts and conviction, thereby forming a crucial part of the party’s frontline communication machinery. Their absence from the campaign council was deemed a “colossal damage” to the campaign structure.

Furthermore, the APC Solidarity Group alleged that the initial composition might have been unduly influenced by a narrow circle of individuals whose decisions reflected sectional interests rather than the broader objective of constructing a formidable and inclusive campaign structure. They also questioned the concentration of responsibilities in the hands of a few individuals, citing the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, as an example of an official reportedly assigned responsibilities in more than one directorate. The group underscored that the objective should be to strengthen the campaign by distributing responsibilities among many competent hands, arguing that saddling one individual with multiple directorates raises legitimate questions about adequate attention, especially given the party’s abundance of capable and experienced personnel. Additionally, the group alleged that stakeholders aligned with Vice President Kashim Shettima were largely sidelined in the initial composition, a development they considered inconsistent with the spirit of inclusiveness expected of a ruling party preparing for a national election.

In conclusion, the group urged the party to ensure that the fresh campaign council list comprehensively reflects all major blocs and stakeholders that contributed to the APC’s 2023 electoral victory. They reiterated that unity, inclusion, and collective strength will be absolutely critical to securing victory in the 2027 elections.