BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Director-General (South II) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has said the party will base its 2027 presidential campaign on the achievements, policies and projects of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration rather than posters and billboards.
Kalu stated this while speaking with journalists shortly after the inaugural meeting of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
He said the ruling party was gradually preparing for the 2027 general election and would seek to convince Nigerians through the impact of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“What APC is going to use are policies that have helped Nigerians and projects that have bettered the lot of Nigerians,” he said, stressing that the party was determined to communicate its achievements to the electorate.
According to him, the APC is adopting a gradual and strategic approach to its campaign preparations, with particular emphasis on grassroots mobilisation and strengthening the party’s structures across the country.
Kalu, who represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, said he would intensify efforts to mobilise support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid, particularly across the South-East and other southern states.
He explained that his appointment as Deputy Director-General (South II) of the Presidential Campaign Council came with the responsibility of mobilising young Nigerians and encouraging them to support the party.
“One of the reasons I was appointed the Deputy DG of this campaign was to make sure that we raise the youths of Nigeria to queue behind this project,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker disclosed that he had already begun engaging youth organisations in the South-East, adding that he intended to extend such engagements across the country, particularly in the southern region.
He noted that young people constituted a significant proportion of Nigeria’s population and that their participation would be important to the party’s electoral success.
Kalu also emphasised the importance of grassroots politics, saying the APC would build on its existing structures from polling units to the national level to secure electoral support.
“I’m not just a fly-by-night in this game. We are thorough, and we are going to leverage the work we have done over the years in building the party from grassroots to deliver a grassroots voting number that reflects the wishes of the people at the grassroots,” he said.
He maintained that despite the party’s confidence in its political structures and previous efforts, it would not take victory for granted.
“We will work as if everything depends on working. We will pray as if everything depends on praying. We leave the rest for God,” he said.
On allegations that the Federal Government was plotting to assassinate former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Kalu said he was hearing the allegation for the first time and questioned why the government would target an individual when it was focused on promoting its achievements.
He said the administration’s campaign would concentrate on its policies, projects and the impact of the Renewed Hope Agenda rather than pursuing political opponents.
Kalu further expressed confidence in the APC’s preparedness for the election, arguing that the party had established structures and a strong grassroots presence that would support its re-election campaign.
He also challenged opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to demonstrate the strength of their political structures.
The Deputy Speaker said the APC was determined to win the 2027 election through organised mobilisation and by convincing Nigerians of its record in government.
He called on international observers to monitor the forthcoming election, expressing confidence that the 2027 general election would be transparent and people-oriented.
The inaugural meeting of the APC Presidential Campaign Council was convened to commence the council’s collective assignment, consider and adopt the campaign calendar, and deliberate on preparations for the formal flag-off of President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
According to an internal memorandum dated October 18 and signed by the council’s Secretary, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, the meeting was scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Presidential Campaign Council headquarters on Herbert Macaulay Way, Central Business District, Abuja.
The memorandum stated that the meeting was restricted to invited members of the council, including directors and secretaries of its various directorates.
It also identified preparations for the campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday, October 24, 2026, as one of the key issues for consideration.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council is expected to coordinate the ruling party’s mobilisation and campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general election.
