President Bola Tinubu and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reopened the party’s 2027 presidential campaign structure following mounting criticism over the composition of its 223-member list.
The recent consultations, which stretched into Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, focused on adjustments to the controversial list and the need to accommodate key party interests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu met the APC governors at Aso Rock after they emerged from a separate session of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The governors arrived at the President’s office shortly before 4 p.m., while discussions continued into the evening.
The meeting followed an earlier session that lasted from about 4pm until 11pm on Wednesday but failed to produce a final resolution.
The campaign council list, released by the APC on August 23, triggered criticism within and outside the governing party. Particular attention centred on the inclusion of some political figures facing corruption-related cases, while questions were also raised about the exclusion or inadequate representation of some party stakeholders.
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Party sources told journalists that the contentious list had been removed from the APC’s X account, a signal 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,” a source close to the APC governors said.
Another senior party figure faulted the process through which the original membership was assembled, saying the party itself had not been sufficiently involved.
“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,” the source said.
The official added that the backlash had forced the Presidency to take another look at the composition.
“The President is handling the matter, and it is believed that some changes will be made after the two-day meeting,” the source said.
The controversy has placed the ruling party in a delicate position. A presidential campaign structure is expected to bring together influential party leaders, elected officials, grassroots organisers and other political stakeholders. Any perception that important blocs have been left out can quickly become a source of internal friction, particularly as the party prepares for a nationwide election.
The council announced by the APC had Tinubu as chairman, with Shettima and the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, listed as first and second vice-chairmen. Senator Abdulaziz Yari was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was designated secretary.
The 223-member structure also created directorates for areas including finance, education, manufacturing, and small businesses, extractive industries, faith-based mobilisation, labour relations, grassroots engagement, digital operations, community support, and welfare.
Presidential spokesman on media and public communication, Sunday Dare, had earlier indicated that the list could still change.
Dare maintained that the campaign structure was not yet complete because several subcommittees were still to be constituted. He said those committees would create additional room for party members and political stakeholders.
“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,” Dare said.
He also distinguished between a wholesale review and what he described as adjustments to the existing arrangement.
“Not a review, just adjustments where necessary,” he said.
Beyond the composition of the campaign council, the APC is also preparing to intensify its social intervention programmes as the 2027 contest draws closer. Party sources said the strategy would include measures aimed at reaching Nigerians and easing the economic pressure confronting households.
That political calculation could prove significant. With the cost of living likely to feature prominently in the next election, the governing party faces the task of presenting its policies to voters while also managing expectations within its own ranks.
For now, the final shape of the presidential campaign council is yet to be announced. The deletion of the initial list from the party’s social media platform and the prolonged consultations at the Villa indicate that the composition is still being settled.
