Tinubu Withdraws APC Campaign Council List for Review
Reported By Facthabournews
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly directed the withdrawal and review of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council list released ahead of the 2027 general election.
The development comes only two days after the Presidency announced the 223-member campaign structure, which named former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, as Director-General and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as Secretary.
Concerns Over Initial List
Reports indicate that the decision followed concerns from senior APC members who believed the initial composition did not adequately reflect the party’s political structure, geographical spread and the hierarchy of key stakeholders.
Sources cited in reports said some party leaders were particularly concerned about the omission of experienced campaigners and prominent political figures who played important roles in the APC’s previous presidential campaigns.
The President has reportedly directed the Presidency, National Assembly leadership and the APC National Working Committee to work together on a review of the structure before a revised list is released.
Prominent APC Members Missing
Among those reportedly absent from the initial list was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
His omission reportedly generated concern within the party, particularly over representation of the South-East and the appropriate positioning of National Assembly leaders within the campaign structure.
Other prominent figures reportedly missing from the initial list include Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, former Ogun State governors Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun, and former Edo State governorship candidate Osagie Ize-Iyamu were also reportedly not included.
The omission of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has similarly been raised as an issue by party stakeholders.
Questions Over National Assembly Representation
The initial campaign structure also reportedly generated questions over the positions assigned to senior members of the National Assembly.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio was listed as a Deputy Director-General for the Southern campaign, alongside Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau were assigned other coordinating responsibilities.
Some party stakeholders reportedly argued that the arrangement did not sufficiently reflect the constitutional and political hierarchy of the National Assembly.
The review is therefore expected to address how the Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and other senior lawmakers are represented within the campaign hierarchy.
Yari’s Position Yet to Be Withdrawn
Despite the reported decision to withdraw the list for review, there is no indication that Tinubu has withdrawn Senator Abdul’aziz Yari’s appointment as Director-General.
Yari was named to lead the campaign council when the original structure was released on August 22.
Governor Hope Uzodimma was also named Secretary, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda were designated Vice Chairmen.
The initial council was designed to coordinate several areas, including mobilisation, election planning, finance, media, grassroots engagement, policy, youth and women mobilisation, and stakeholder relations.
APC Prepares for 2027
The review comes as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The APC is seeking to retain the presidency and has already begun building a nationwide campaign structure around Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The party’s campaign preparations are taking place against a challenging political environment, with the opposition and emerging political coalitions also positioning themselves for the election.
The ruling party will therefore be under pressure to present a campaign structure capable of bringing together its governors, legislators, party leaders, former office holders and influential stakeholders across the country.
The decision to review the initial list could be aimed at preventing internal disagreements from affecting the party’s campaign preparations.
Revised List Expected
The Presidency has yet to publicly release a replacement list as of the latest reports.
The revised structure is expected to address concerns about representation and bring additional political figures into the campaign organisation.
The development also highlights the importance of internal consultation in constructing a national presidential campaign council, particularly for a ruling party with political interests across all six geopolitical zones.
For now, the original list announced on Saturday remains subject to review, while party stakeholders await further clarification from the Presidency and APC leadership.
The controversy is unlikely to end the party’s preparations for 2027, but it demonstrates the political sensitivity surrounding the composition of the campaign team and the need to accommodate influential figures in the ruling party.
As the review continues, attention will focus on which names are added, which positions are changed and whether the revised structure succeeds in addressing the concerns raised by APC stakeholders.
This report is based on current media reports concerning the reported directive to review the APC campaign council. The Presidency and APC leadership may provide further clarification or release a revised list as the process continues.
