President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held a meeting with governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the meeting centred on the growing concerns over the party’s 2027 presidential campaign structure, with efforts underway to make changes to the controversial list released earlier in the week.
The closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja lasted several hours and formed part of the attempt by the President and senior APC leaders to settle disagreements that emerged after the 223-member Presidential Campaign Council was unveiled.
The APC governors arrived at the Villa shortly before 4pm after attending the National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Their engagement with Tinubu came a day after another lengthy meeting on the campaign council had ended without a final agreement.
The consultations reportedly continued on Thursday following the party’s National Executive Committee meeting, as the leadership considered complaints from different sections of the APC about the composition of the campaign team.
Among the major concerns was the inclusion of some party members who have been linked to corruption cases, while some stakeholders were said to have been left out of the process that produced the original list.
A senior source familiar with the discussions said the original list was no longer being treated as final, pointing to its removal from the APC’s X account as evidence that changes were being considered.
“The list is part of the main agenda of the meeting. You can notice that the other controversial list has been deleted from the Twitter handle of the party,” the source said.
Another senior party figure questioned the process through which the campaign council was initially assembled, suggesting that the APC leadership was not sufficiently consulted.
“Can you believe that the party was not carried along in the formation of the list? The President’s Special Adviser on Political Matters and a few persons in the Presidency came up with the list.
“You can see the backlash that has trailed it. The President is handling the matter, and it is believed that some changes will be made after the two-day meeting,” the chieftain said.
The original campaign structure had Tinubu as chairman, with Shettima and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, serving as vice chairmen. Former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, was appointed Director-General, while Uzodimma was named Secretary.
The council also brought together senior political figures and government officials to oversee different aspects of the election campaign, including mobilisation, finance, election planning, grassroots operations, digital activities, education, labour relations, welfare and engagement with various support groups.
But the controversy surrounding the composition prompted the Presidency to clarify that the structure could still be expanded or adjusted.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the publication of the campaign council did not mean that every position had been permanently settled.
“As it is with every other list, there’s a room for subcommittees. Those subcommittees have not been formed, and so many other names will come into that subcommittee,” he said.
Dare also rejected suggestions that the APC had completely discarded the list, explaining that the party could make changes without dismantling the entire campaign structure.
“But of course, there will be adjustments. The list is not cast in stone, just like every other list,” he said.
Asked if the development amounted to a review of the council, the presidential aide said the expected changes were narrower than a complete restructuring.
“Not a review, just adjustments where necessary,” Dare said.
He added, “Review is wholesale, this is not wholesale.”
Tinubu has already directed members of the campaign council to sell the achievements of his administration to voters and use the campaign period to explain the government’s economic policies.
“We have delivered on our campaign promises and set our country on a path of economic progress. We are definitely out of the dark tunnel and are now at the cusp of reaping the benefits of a prosperous economy that will benefit all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
He added, “As we march into the campaign season, we have many achievements to trumpet—let us confidently showcase our record and inspire hope in every corner of our nation.”
The President also urged members of the ruling party to work together to prevent opposition parties from taking power in 2027.
“Let us soundly defeat all those forces who plan to take our country backwards,” he said.
