2027: Tinubu Unveils APC Campaign War Room

Yari, Uzodimma, Faleke get key roles, govs named coordinators as 2023 campaign veterans return

President Bola Tinubu has unveiled a 343-member Presidential Campaign Council for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, retaining several figures who played key roles in the party’s 2023 campaign.

Tinubu will chair the council, with Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice Chairman I and APC national chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, as Vice Chairman II.

Former Zamfara State governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, was appointed director-general, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will serve as secretary.

The list, released by the Presidency yesterday, was signed by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s special adviser on Information and Strategy.

APC national secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Hadiza Bala-Usman will serve as Deputy and Assistant Secretaries, respectively.

The council’s advisers include Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Segun Osoba, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Florence Ita Giwa.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni were appointed as Deputy Directors-General for the South and North, respectively. They will work with Senator Bamidele Opeyemi and Senator Jibril Barau.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole will serve as Deputy Director-General, Mobilisation, while the President’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, will oversee Administration.

James Abiodun Faleke, who played a key role in the 2022/2023 campaign, returns as Deputy Director-General for Election Planning, Coordination and Monitoring.

Faleke will work with zonal directors comprising Senator Olushola Adeyeye (South-West), Dr Ngozi Olejeme (South-South), Senator Uche Ekwunife (South-East), Muntaqha Rabe (North-West), Ahmed Muhammed Ketso (North-Central) and Senator Sani Danladi (North-East).

Muiz Adeyemi Banire will head the Legal Directorate, with Dr Liman Hassan and Babatunde Ogala as deputies.

The minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, will serve as Coordinating Director for Media and Strategic Communication, working with Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa-Onilu.

Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and Felix Morka will serve as Coordinating Deputy Directors, while Abdulaziz AbdulAziz, Temitope Ajayi, Arabinrin Aderonke and Frederick Nwabufor will serve as Coordinating Secretaries.

Segun Dada will head New Media, a position he also held during the 2022 campaign, with Solomon Arowolo as secretary.

The council also named five spokespersons, led by Alake. Others are Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.

Tinubu charged members of the council to work tirelessly to secure the party’s victory in the January 2027 elections and urged directorate heads to bring on board other party members who could contribute to the campaign.

“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.

“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. Let us soundly defeat all those forces who plan to take our country backwards,” he said.

Inside Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Machine

The composition of the campaign council reflects regional balancing, political experience and the inclusion of trusted allies and veterans of the 2023 campaign.

Tinubu, as chairman, brings experience from the 2023 presidential campaign, when he served as Deputy Chairman of the council chaired by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

Shettima, who served as Vice Chairman of the 2023 council, returns in the same role. As Vice President and Tinubu’s running mate, he is expected to play a central role in mobilising support across the North.

Yilwatda, the APC national chairman, will serve as Vice Chairman II. His position gives him responsibility for coordinating the party’s broader political machinery, while his roots in the North-Central zone add another regional dimension to the structure.

Yari in Steering Role

Yari’s appointment as Director-General is one of the most significant features of the council.

Unlike the 2023 campaign, when the position was held by former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong from the North-Central, the role has now moved to the North-West.

The North-West delivered the largest bloc of votes to Tinubu in 2023, contributing 2,950,393 votes, or 33.55 per cent of his 8,794,726 votes nationwide.

The region, however, has become a major political battleground ahead of 2027, amid concerns over insecurity, poverty and perceived marginalisation under the Tinubu administration. Some prominent northern politicians, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, have also moved into opposition.

Yari, a former Zamfara State governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, has extensive political experience.

He served as state secretary and chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), national financial secretary, member of the House of Representatives and governor, and is now a senator.

He is also regarded as an influential figure in the North-West. Although he lost the 2023 Senate presidency contest to Akpabio by 63 votes to 46, Yari has remained within the APC fold.

Uzodimma as Campaign Administrator

Uzodimma, the Imo State governor and chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, will oversee the council’s secretariat and administration.

He is also chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, where the APC controls three of the five states. As Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Uzodimma has been involved in promoting the Tinubu administration’s achievements through media tours of federal and state projects.

He will work with Basiru and Bala-Usman as Deputy and Assistant Secretaries, respectively. Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa is named as the director in charge of diaspora mobilisation.

Akpabio, Bamidele, Others Get Special Roles

Akpabio, who will serve as Deputy Director-General for the South, is a close ally of Tinubu and was the first aspirant to step down for him during the 2022 APC presidential primaries.

The APC has expanded its presence in the South-South since 2023 and now controls all six states in the zone, giving Akpabio a significant mobilisation role.

He will work with Senator Bamidele Opeyemi from Ekiti State.

In the North, Buni, Abbas and Barau will serve as Deputy Directors-General.

Buni, a former APC national secretary and caretaker committee chairman, will represent the North-East, while Abbas and Barau will represent the North-West.

Oshiomhole, a former Edo State governor, APC national chairman and labour leader who played a key role in Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign, will oversee mobilisation.

Gbajabiamila will oversee administration, while Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Tinubu’s 2022 running-mate placeholder, will serve as Deputy Director-General for Logistics and Administration.

Notable Governors, Politicians Named Zonal Coordinators

Tinubu has appointed prominent governors and politicians as zonal coordinators.

They include Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu (South-South), Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah (South-East), Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (South-West), Niger State Governor Umar Bago (North-Central), Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani (North-West) and former Borno State Governor Modu Sheriff (North-East).

All 31 APC governors and governorship candidates in states not controlled by the party will serve as state coordinators.

2023 Campaign Veterans Return

Several veterans of the 2023 campaign have been retained in the new structure, including Faleke, Oshiomhole, Akpabio, David Umahi, Bello Matawalle, Gbajabiamila, Abdullahi Adamu, Aliyu Wamako, Alake and Abdullahi Ganduje.

Their new assignments include election planning, mobilisation, infrastructure, security and intelligence, administration, stakeholder mobilisation and media.

North-South Balancing

The council also reflects an attempt to maintain a North-South balance.

While Tinubu, from the South, is chairman, Shettima from the North is Vice Chairman I.

Yari from the North is Director-General, while Uzodimma from the South is Secretary.

Akpabio and Buni will oversee mobilisation in the South and North, respectively, while Basiru and Bala-Usman will serve as Deputy and Assistant Secretaries.

Media and Strategic Communications

The campaign has a sizeable media and strategic communications structure, with Alake leading the five-member team of spokespersons.

Information minister Mohammed Idris will coordinate the Media and Strategic Communication Directorate alongside Onanuga and Issa-Onilu. Rahman, Dare, Bwala and Morka will serve as Coordinating Deputy Directors.

Dada will lead New Media, while Arowolo will serve as secretary.

Alake served as Adviser on Media, Communications and Public Affairs during the 2023 campaign, working with Onanuga and Rahman.

Campaign Message Central

The campaign is expected to focus heavily on the Tinubu administration’s record as the president seeks a second term.

Tinubu told the campaign team: “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.”

Ahead of the campaign, the presidential media team, led by Onanuga, has been highlighting projects and policies implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Yari Accepts Task

Yari has accepted his appointment as Director-General.

Writing on X, the former Zamfara governor said: “I accept with gratitude my appointment as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

“The work begins now. Together, we will deliver victory in January 2027.”

Why Yari Was Picked

Party sources said Yari’s selection was driven largely by the strategic importance of the North-West, a major battleground in 2027.

Unlike the 2023 election, when Lalong from the North-Central headed the campaign, the APC has turned to a prominent North-West politician as it prepares to face former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the NDC.

Yari’s strong showing in the Senate presidency contest is also believed to have enhanced his standing within the APC.

Sources told LEADERSHIP Sunday that his strategic position in the party and the North-West influenced his selection.

As previously reported by LEADERSHIP Sunday on March 29, 2026, sources also cited Yari’s financial capacity, calm disposition and mobilisation skills as factors in his selection.

In that edition, the paper reported exclusively that Yari and Uzodimma were being considered for key roles in leading President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 presidential re-election campaign.

In the report, we stated that the two party chieftains were being tipped to take up the plum positions of Director-General and Secretary of the presidential campaign council, respectively.

Yesterday, one source said, “You cannot ignore such a man. He is strategic and well-informed when it comes to finance.”

The Convener/National Coordinator of the Concerned National APC Stakeholders Forum, Dr Dominic Alancha, described the choice as strategic because of Yari’s influence in the North-West.

“I think his regional strength informed his choice. He is specifically from the North-West, with a large vote bank. And he is known to have a strong grassroots mobilisation capacity.”

Alancha added, “Moreover, he is not a pushover in Nigerian politics. He contested for the Senate presidency and narrowly lost the seat. His choice is a welcome one, and we believe he is a political force that can deliver the election for Tinubu and the APC.

“The composition is robust; all the regions are accommodated, and they all have fair representation. Also, additional committees and directorates at other levels will be created, providing room to accommodate more people. So, overall, I think it was done well.”

A former national chairmanship aspirant of APC, Mohammed Etsu, described Yari’s appointment as the Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council as a strategic and intelligent decision.

Speaking with LEADERHIP Sunday on the composition of the list, he said, “In a country as diverse as Nigeria, where President Tinubu comes from the South, having a seasoned and influential political figure from the North to coordinate the campaign reflects a clear understanding of our political and demographic realities.

“Beyond regional balance, Senator Yari’s political antecedents and capacity speak for themselves. His remarkable outing during the 2023 Senate President contest, where he secured significant support despite the odds, demonstrated his political strength, wide network, courage, and ability to mobilise support.

“With his vast political experience, grassroots connections, national network, and strong influence across the North, Senator Yari brings enormous value to the 2027 presidential campaign. His choice as DG is therefore not just about political balancing; it is a strategic decision that positions the campaign for effective mobilisation, national acceptance, and ultimately, success.”

“With an estimated 60 to 70 per cent of the Campaign Council members coming from the North, it is clear that the region is expected to play a significant role in delivering President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the coming election. This reflects a deliberate understanding of Nigeria’s political and demographic realities.”

APM Criticises Campaign List

The Allied Peoples’  (APM), however, dismissed the campaign council as an assembly of politicians lacking the public confidence needed to deliver victory.

The party described many of those appointed as political sycophants and “inconsistent characters”, accusing some of seeking official protection from corruption allegations.

In a statement, APM national publicity secretary Abubakar Yusuf said the list confirmed the party’s earlier position that Tinubu could not command broad public support because of what it described as his poor performance in office.

“The choice of Campaign director-general, former Zamfara State Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari, under whose failed watch banditry and mass killings escalated in the state, whose government refused to implement the national minimum wage for workers, and under whose administration youth unemployment, the number of out-of-school children and the general standard of living reached their worst levels, speaks volumes about President Tinubu’s view of governance,” Yusuf said.

He added: “If, after three and a half years in power, President Tinubu could not muster the capacity to assemble a credible team, then it is clear that he indeed has no business being in charge of a nation as complex and demanding as Nigeria.”

The party also accused the administration of worsening insecurity, poverty and economic hardship, and said the campaign would fail.

The APM urged the campaign council to consider the outcome of the Osun governorship election as a warning, claiming that Tinubu would struggle to win the 2027 presidential election.

It further argued that its presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, was “now commanding the support and solidarity of the majority of Nigerians as the credible alternative to President Tinubu.”