President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly ordered the withdrawal and review of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council list following concerns over the omission of several prominent party stakeholders.
The directive came shortly after the Presidency released the council’s composition on Saturday ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The initial list named former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, was appointed Secretary.
According to reports, senior APC members raised concerns that the composition did not adequately reflect the party’s hierarchy, geographical spread and political structure.
Sources said Tinubu subsequently directed the Presidency, the APC National Working Committee and the leadership of the National Assembly to review the list and address the identified gaps before a final version is released.
Omitted personalities
Among the prominent figures reportedly omitted from the initial list are Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Lalong served as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council during the 2023 election, while Keyamo was one of the party’s leading campaign spokesmen. Ribadu also played a prominent role in the previous campaign structure as Director of Stakeholders Relations.
The reported omissions have sparked internal concerns over whether the original composition sufficiently accommodated key political actors whose participation could be important to the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 election.
A source quoted in reports said Tinubu was surprised by the limited input from some experienced party members in the final composition and wanted the structure reviewed to ensure broader representation.
The initial council has Tinubu as Chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, as Vice Chairmen, with Yari as Director-General and Uzodimma as Secretary. Senator Ajibola Basiru and Hadiza Bala-Usman were named Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary respectively.
The council also includes a team of advisers comprising former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Segun Osoba; former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha; former APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.
The review is expected to produce a broader campaign structure that accommodates major stakeholders across the party and its various regions as the APC intensifies preparations for the 2027 presidential contest.
