President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a review of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council list following concerns over the inclusion and omission of several names.
The list, which was released at the weekend, has generated reactions within the APC and among opposition figures, with concerns raised about the suitability of some nominees and the exclusion of others considered important to the campaign.
Sources in the Presidency and the APC told SK Blog that the list is being reviewed before the council is formally inaugurated.
Tinubu is expected to chair the campaign council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, will serve as Vice Chairmen I and II respectively.
Former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, is to serve as Secretary.
However, sources said the leadership structure is not expected to change, with the review focused mainly on the membership of the council.
According to the sources, the concerns fall into three broad categories: the inclusion of individuals facing allegations of financial impropriety, the omission of experienced politicians who could contribute to the campaign and names left out due to administrative errors.
Among those whose inclusion has attracted criticism are former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and former Chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ngozi Olejeme.
Edu was listed as Director of Women Mobilisation, while Olejeme was named South-South Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation.
Both women have faced allegations of financial impropriety linked to their previous public offices.
The inclusion of Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacheus Adedeji, has also raised questions. Adedeji was named Deputy Director of Fundraising in the campaign council despite his position as head of a key government revenue institution.
Sources said the participation of officials in partisan campaign structures could raise questions about institutional neutrality and public confidence.
The review is also expected to address the omission of some politicians with previous campaign experience.
Those reportedly affected include Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong; and former governors Yahaya Bello, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun.
Keyamo served as spokesman and Director of Public Affairs of the APC presidential campaign council in 2023, while Lalong served as Director-General of the council.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and some senators serving in state campaign offices were also reportedly omitted through what sources described as administrative oversight.
A source who served on the 2023 campaign council said such adjustments were not unusual, recalling that the initial list for the 2023 election was also withdrawn and revised before the inauguration.
“There is nothing unusual about reviewing the list before inauguration. There are many interests involved, and the party has to ensure that the final composition reflects the needs of the campaign,” the source said.
The Presidency has not officially announced a date for the inauguration of the 2027 campaign council, further fuelling speculation that the review is still ongoing.
There were also questions over the omission of Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, from the list despite his support for the Tinubu administration. Radda has, however, reaffirmed his commitment to Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Meanwhile, Vice Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, criticised the APC campaign council, arguing that its composition reflected the continuation of the current administration rather than a new political direction.
Kwankwaso also appealed to Yari to reconsider accepting the position of Director-General, citing the challenges of insecurity, poverty, unemployment and displacement affecting Nigerians.
He further questioned the involvement of senior officials of critical public institutions in the APC campaign structure, particularly Adedeji and Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi.
Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye also threatened legal action over Adedeji’s role in the campaign council.
Melaye argued that Adedeji’s position as chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service created a potential conflict of interest and said he would ask the court to determine whether his participation in the campaign structure was lawful.
The inclusion of Defence Minister Christopher Musa has also attracted attention. Musa, through his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said his involvement in the campaign would not affect his responsibilities to national security.
He described the appointment as a call to higher service and assured Nigerians that military operations, defence reforms and inter-agency cooperation would continue without interruption.
“National security remains our highest imperative,” Musa said, adding that his ministry would remain focused on protecting Nigerians and advancing the administration’s security objectives.
An APC grassroots mobilisation group, APC Daga Titi Zuwa Titi, has meanwhile accused Kwankwaso of being unsettled by Yari’s appointment as Director-General of the campaign council.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Jaafar Hassan, the group said Kwankwaso’s appeal to Yari to reconsider the appointment demonstrated the political significance of the former Zamfara governor’s role in the 2027 campaign.
As of Tuesday, the Presidency had yet to issue an official statement explaining the withdrawal and review of the campaign council list.
Calls and messages sent to Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; Special Adviser on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala; and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman, were not answered.
The final list is expected to be released after the Presidency and APC leadership conclude the ongoing adjustments.
