President Bola Tinubu has ordered a review and reconstitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The president gave the order after concerns emerged over the composition of the initial list released by the Presidency on Saturday.
According to The Will, the decision followed complaints from senior party members who felt that several important stakeholders, experienced campaigners and political leaders were left out of the first list.
The concerns also centred on the level of representation given to different regions, the National Assembly and key members of the ruling party.
Sources familiar with the development said Tinubu has directed his Chief of Staff and other officials in the Presidency to work with the leadership of the National Assembly and the APC National Working Committee to review the campaign structure.
The aim is to identify gaps in the original arrangement and produce a wider team that can bring together major party leaders and political actors as the APC prepares for the 2027 presidential election.
The controversy came shortly after the Presidency announced a 223-member campaign council with former Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, as Director-General.
One of the major concerns raised within the party was the absence of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
As the highest-ranking political office holder from the South-East, his exclusion generated questions about the level of representation given to the region.
The initial structure also attracted questions over the positions assigned to some leaders of the National Assembly.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio was named Deputy Director-General for the Southern campaign, while Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni were also given senior roles.
Other National Assembly leaders, including Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Deputy Senate President Jibril Barau, were assigned coordinating positions.
Some party members felt the arrangement did not properly reflect the constitutional and political ranking of the National Assembly leadership.
The review is therefore expected to address how the various leaders are positioned within the campaign structure.
Several experienced APC campaigners were also missing from the original list.
They include former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong, who headed the party’s presidential campaign council during the 2023 election, as well as Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who was involved in stakeholder relations during the 2023 campaign, was also absent from the initial structure.
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who served as National Youth Coordinator during the last presidential campaign, was another notable omission.
Former Ogun State Governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, as well as former Edo State governorship candidate Osagie Ize-Iyamu, were also not included.
The absence of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo was another issue raised by party stakeholders.
Okpebholo is regarded as an important APC figure in the South-South and is expected to play a role in the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the next election.
The review is expected to take into account the role of state governors, party leaders, National Assembly members and other political figures who are expected to help the APC campaign across the country.
Party sources said the initial list was considered too narrow and did not fully reflect the APC’s political structure and network.
The new arrangement is expected to give wider representation to different parts of the country and bring more experienced politicians into the campaign.
Despite the planned changes, there is no indication that Yari’s appointment as Director-General has been cancelled.
His selection to lead the 2027 campaign had previously been reported after Tinubu chose the former Zamfara governor for the role.
The President is now expected to rely on the reconstituted council to build a stronger campaign organisation for his bid for a second term.
The campaign team will be expected to promote the administration’s record, explain its economic policies and mobilise support for the APC across the country.
