BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, as the party intensifies preparations for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The inauguration is scheduled to take place at 11:00 a.m. at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with President Tinubu expected to inaugurate the expanded council comprising political leaders, serving governors, ministers, lawmakers, former public office holders and party stakeholders. The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday.
The inauguration follows the release of a revised membership list designed to strengthen the party’s campaign structure and accommodate additional political figures across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The expanded council is expected to coordinate mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, election planning, media communications and other activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Although the party has released an extensive list of appointees covering national leadership, zonal coordination, state campaigns and specialised directorates. The council, however, brings together a substantial number of political office holders and campaign officials expected to support the President’s re-election project.
Under the arrangement, President Tinubu will serve as chairman of the council, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, serving as first and second vice-chairmen, respectively.
Other senior figures occupying leadership positions include Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who are listed as deputy vice-chairmen.
Former Zamfara State Governor Senator Abdulaziz Yari will serve as Director-General of the campaign council, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will serve as secretary. Senator Adams Oshiomhole has been assigned the responsibility of deputy director-general for mobilisation, while Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, will oversee administration.
New Members Expand Campaign Structure
A major feature of the revised list is the inclusion of several prominent political figures whose appointments have attracted attention because of their political backgrounds and influence in their respective states.
Among the notable additions is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who has been appointed campaign coordinator for President Tinubu in Rivers State and the FCT. His inclusion is particularly significant given his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his continuing influence in Rivers State politics.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who won his re-election under the Accord Party, has also been named campaign coordinator for Osun State. Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will coordinate the APC presidential campaign in Anambra State.
The inclusion of Adeleke, Soludo and Wike underscores the campaign council’s expanded political reach beyond the party’s traditional membership. Their appointments are expected to generate discussions about political alliances, cross-party cooperation and the APC’s strategy for building support ahead of the 2027 election.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has been named Director of Finance, while Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, will coordinate fundraising for the campaign.
Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has also been assigned a role as South-West Zonal Coordinator for Stakeholders’ Mobilisation, while Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola will serve as Deputy National Coordinator I for Stakeholders’ Mobilisation in the South-West.
The revised list also includes Minister of Works David Umahi as Deputy Director-General for Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation. His responsibilities are expected to involve coordinating campaign activities connected with infrastructure development and communicating the administration’s infrastructure-related achievements to voters.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu has been appointed Deputy Director-General for the South II zone, while Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker Martin Amaewhule will serve as South-South Deputy Coordinator for State Assemblies Mobilisation.
Former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo has also been included as Deputy Director for Sports Sector Mobilisation, while businessman Ayiri Emami has been appointed Director of Special Duties. The list further includes Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, lawmaker Abdulmumin Jibrin, FCT Minister Wike’s media aide Lere Olayinka and Segun Sowunmi in media and communications-related assignments.
Governors, Party Leaders to Drive Mobilisation
The council’s structure extends to the six geopolitical zones, with zonal coordinators and other officials expected to supervise campaign activities and coordinate engagements with political stakeholders.
At the state level, the revised arrangement names governors and other political figures as coordinators of the presidential campaign. The appointments include Ahmadu Fintiri for Adamawa, Umo Eno for Akwa Ibom, Babagana Zulum for Borno, Sheriff Oborevwori for Delta, Hope Uzodimma for Imo, Abba Yusuf for Kano, Dapo Abiodun for Ogun and Dauda Lawal for Zamfara, alongside other designated coordinators.
In states where the APC does not control the governorship, the party has also assigned campaign coordination responsibilities to selected political figures, including its governorship candidates in some states. The arrangement is intended to ensure that the party maintains campaign structures across the country rather than concentrating solely on states governed by APC members.
The council also features former governors, party leaders and senior government officials as advisers. Those named include former APC national chairmen Bisi Akande and Abdullahi Adamu, former Ogun State governors Ibikunle Amosun and Segun Osoba, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, former Osun State Deputy Governor Iyiola Omisore and former Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun.
Other key appointments cover election planning, logistics, parliamentary mobilisation, women mobilisation and stakeholder engagement. James Faleke will oversee election planning, coordination and monitoring, while Ibrahim Kabir Masari will handle logistics and operations. Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Beta Edu will lead the women mobilisation directorate.
The APC’s revised campaign council follows earlier adjustments to the composition of its presidential campaign structure, which was initially announced in August. The latest expansion introduces additional appointments across national leadership, state coordination and specialised directorates, with the aim of consolidating the party’s preparations for the next general election.
The inauguration is expected to formally activate the campaign council’s leadership structure and provide a platform for members to begin coordinating their respective responsibilities. According to the party’s announcement, attendance at the ceremony is restricted to the leadership of the various directorates of the Presidential Campaign Council.
With the 2027 general election approaching, the APC will be seeking to translate its expanded political network into effective grassroots mobilisation, stronger voter engagement and nationwide support for Tinubu’s re-election bid. The effectiveness of the new structure will ultimately depend on how well its national, zonal and state-level officials coordinate their activities and communicate the party’s message to Nigerians.
