President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign is reaching beyond the All Progressives Congress (APC), with influential politicians from other parties brought into the campaign structure to widen his support base.
Among those appointed to coordinate his campaign in their states are Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, and Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The move comes as Tinubu faces public concerns over economic hardship and insecurity, while opposition parties struggle to unite against him.
Wike, a former Rivers governor, said on Tuesday that the president was willing to accommodate politicians outside the APC who could support his re-election.
“My thinking is that the president, in his wisdom, said there are those who are not members of our political parties but have something to offer to his re-election, and it’s proper to accommodate them,” he said.
However, some APC state chapters have opposed the arrangement, arguing that Tinubu’s supporters should join the party formally.
APGA has backed Soludo’s appointment, saying it supports Tinubu for president while retaining its separate identity and pursuing other elective positions.
The revised council also promotes Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to deputy vice-chairmen. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq takes another deputy vice-chairmanship, while Senator Abdulaziz Yari remains director-general.
Former Kwara Senator Gbemisola Saraki joins as North-Central zonal secretary for contact and mobilisation.
Some previous assignments have changed or disappeared from the revised list, although this does not confirm that those affected have been removed.
The changes follow August’s controversy over the original list. APC spokesman Felix Morka dismissed reports of its withdrawal, saying, “Rumours are not news,” while the Presidency maintained that the list remained valid, with possible adjustments.
Tinubu is scheduled to inaugurate the council at the Presidential Villa’s Banquet Hall in Abuja on Wednesday, October 14, at 11am.
