President Bola Tinubu’s administration has begun reviewing the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council following concerns over alleged omissions, questionable inclusions and other anomalies in the list released at the weekend.
According to reports the review was prompted by reactions from within and outside the party, with party and Presidency sources saying some of the names on the list could create unnecessary controversy and potentially embarrass the campaign.
Tinubu is expected to chair the council, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, serving as Vice Chairmen I and II. Former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, was appointed Secretary.
Sources said the leadership structure is not expected to change, but some members may be dropped while others who were omitted could be added before the council is inaugurated.
One source said the review was being handled at the Presidential Villa, adding that concerns had been raised over the inclusion of individuals facing allegations of financial impropriety, the omission of experienced campaign operatives and names left out due to what was described as administrative oversight.
Among those whose inclusion reportedly generated concerns are former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, who was named Director of Women Mobilisation, and former Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board chairperson, Ngozi Olejeme, appointed South-South Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation. Both have faced allegations of financial impropriety linked to their previous public offices.
There were also questions over the inclusion of Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacheus Adedeji, as Deputy Director of Fundraising. Critics have argued that the participation of a serving head of a critical government revenue institution in a partisan campaign structure could raise questions about institutional neutrality.
The review is also expected to address the omission of prominent APC members with previous campaign experience.
Those reportedly left out include Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who served as spokesman and Director of Public Affairs of the 2023 campaign council; former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who was Director-General of the 2023 APC Presidential Campaign Council; and former governors Yahaya Bello, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and some senators serving in state campaign offices were also reportedly omitted through oversight.
The controversy has also raised questions over the absence 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.
A source who served on the 2023 campaign council said the review was not unusual, recalling that the initial list for the 2023 election was also withdrawn and fine-tuned before the council was inaugurated.
Meanwhile, the Presidency had yet to officially confirm the review as attempts to obtain comments from presidential aides Bayo Onanuga, Daniel Bwala and Tunde Rahman were unsuccessful.
The composition of the council has also attracted criticism from opposition figures.
Former Kano State Governor and Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, questioned the decision to bring together many political actors associated with the current administration, arguing that Nigerians deserved a “new direction” rather than continuation of the existing system.
Kwankwaso also appealed to Yari to reconsider accepting the position of Director-General, citing the security, economic and social challenges facing the people of Zamfara and the wider North-West.
He further questioned the involvement of senior officials of critical public institutions, particularly Adedeji and Budget Office Director-General, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, in campaign structures.
Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, meanwhile, threatened legal action over Adedeji’s role in the campaign council, arguing that his position as head of the NRS could create a conflict of interest.
Melaye also questioned the decision by Tinubu, a sitting president, to chair his own presidential campaign council.
The controversy has also drawn a response from Defence Minister, Gen. Christopher Musa, whose inclusion in the council had raised concerns about whether his political role could affect his responsibility for national security.
Musa, through his media aide, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said his appointment was a call to higher service and assured Nigerians that national security operations would continue without interruption.
He said ongoing military operations, strategic reforms and inter-agency collaboration would continue with increased vigour, stressing that the protection of Nigerians remained the ministry’s priority.
Meanwhile, the APC grassroots mobilisation group, APC Daga Titi Zuwa Titi, criticised Kwankwaso for questioning Yari’s appointment.
The group, through its National Coordinator, Jaafar Hassan, said Kwankwaso’s appeal to Yari showed that the opposition was unsettled by the emergence of the former Zamfara governor as Director-General of Tinubu’s campaign council.
The group argued that politicians rarely advise their opponents to reject positions they consider politically insignificant, suggesting that Yari’s appointment had heightened concerns within the opposition camp.