APC Governors take fresh action on Tinubu
Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are seeking President Bola Tinubu’s approval to reduce his appearances during the party’s 2027 presidential campaign.
The governors are working on a strategy that would place them and other senior party members at the forefront of nationwide campaigns, rallies and grassroots mobilisation, while the President would attend only selected events considered politically important.
According to a report by The Sun, the governors are expected to meet with Tinubu this week to discuss the proposal and seek his approval for the planned arrangement.
The move is reportedly driven by concerns about the President’s political standing in some parts of the country, particularly the North, South-South and South-East.
The governors believe that allowing them to lead most campaign activities could help the ruling party manage potential political challenges ahead of the 2027 election.
Under the proposed arrangement, the governors would take responsibility for mobilising voters and coordinating rallies across the six geopolitical zones.
Tinubu, on the other hand, would make limited appearances at events where his presence is considered necessary.
The proposal would represent a change from the earlier plan under which the President was expected to attend at least one campaign event in each of the six geopolitical zones.
However, the strategy appears to have changed, as the North-Central campaign gathering held in Nasarawa State on Saturday reportedly took place without Tinubu in attendance.
Sources within the APC told The Sun that the governors intend to use their planned meeting with the President to explain the proposed strategy and agree on how responsibilities would be shared between him, the governors and other party leaders.
Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, is expected to play a coordinating role if the proposal receives presidential approval.
The arrangement would also operate alongside the campaign structure already established by Tinubu and the APC National Working Committee, which is responsible for the party’s overall organisation and activities.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the proposal does not mean that the governors want to completely remove Tinubu from the campaign.
Instead, the President would be brought in when his presence is considered most valuable to the party’s electoral efforts.
The grand finale of the presidential campaign is reportedly one of the major events at which Tinubu is expected to appear before party members and supporters to seek another term in office.
The governors believe that his participation in carefully selected events would allow him to maintain his leadership role while reducing the pressure associated with attending rallies across the country.
According to the report, concerns about the President’s political support in some regions have contributed to the discussions.
Some governors reportedly believe Tinubu retains a stronger political base in the South-West than in certain parts of the North, South-South and South-East.
They are said to be considering whether frequent appearances before large crowds could expose the President and the APC to unnecessary political challenges during the campaign.
The governors are also reportedly concerned about controversies that followed some of Tinubu’s public appearances during the 2023 presidential election campaign.
Some of those incidents attracted criticism from opposition figures and generated discussions on social media.
They fear similar incidents during the 2027 campaign could distract voters from the party’s message and provide political opponents with material to use against the President.
As a result, the governors are pushing for a strategy that would allow them to handle most public campaign activities, with ministers, party leaders and other officials also expected to contribute to the mobilisation effort.
The proposed arrangement would give the governors greater responsibility for engaging voters through their political networks and grassroots structures in their respective states and regions.
The party’s campaign leadership and national working committee would continue to handle broader issues relating to planning, coordination, strategy and logistics.
