President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have begun moves to resolve the controversy surrounding the party’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council list, following mounting criticism over its composition.
Tinubu held a closed-door meeting with members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday as consultations continued on how to revise the controversial campaign structure.
The meeting followed another round of discussions that began on Wednesday and continued for several hours. According to party sources, the consultations were aimed at reviewing the 223-member campaign council list released by the APC on August 23.
The list has generated significant controversy within and outside the ruling party, particularly over the inclusion of some party figures facing corruption-related charges.
There have also been complaints from party stakeholders who alleged that important sections of the APC were not adequately consulted before the list was produced.
The controversy became serious enough for the party to remove the original list from its official X account, fuelling speculation that a major restructuring was imminent. Sources close to the APC governors confirmed that the list had been reviewed, although the exact changes remained unclear as of Thursday.
One senior party source said the President was personally handling the matter and that changes were expected after the consultations with governors and other stakeholders.
The dispute has also exposed concerns about the process through which the campaign council was constituted.
A senior party chieftain reportedly questioned why the APC itself was allegedly not sufficiently involved in preparing the list, suggesting that the Presidency had played a dominant role in its formation.
The criticism has placed additional pressure on the party leadership to produce a campaign structure that is more inclusive and capable of accommodating influential stakeholders ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
However, the Presidency has sought to play down the controversy.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said the list was still valid because the campaign structure had not been fully constituted.
According to Dare, several subcommittees were yet to be established, meaning additional party members and political stakeholders could still be incorporated.
He described the expected changes as “adjustments” rather than a wholesale review, stressing that the campaign structure remained a work in progress.
Under the original structure, Tinubu was named chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda serving as first and second vice-chairmen respectively.
Former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was designated Secretary.
The expanded council included directorates covering finance, extractive industries, education, manufacturing and MSMEs, support-group coordination, faith-based mobilisation, labour relations, grassroots engagement, digital operations and welfare.
Beyond the campaign-list controversy, the APC is also preparing to intensify its social-intervention programmes ahead of the 2027 election.
Party sources said the ruling party intends to expand its engagement with Nigerians through social programmes aimed at easing economic hardship and strengthening its grassroots support.
The strategy comes amid a difficult political and economic environment, with opposition parties increasingly challenging the Tinubu administration over the cost of living and the impact of its economic reforms.
For the APC, however, the immediate priority is to prevent disagreements over the campaign council from developing into a broader internal crisis.
A divided campaign structure could undermine the party’s efforts to mobilise its political machinery across the states, particularly as opposition parties consolidate their own structures ahead of the 2027 contest.
The controversy also comes at a time when the APC is seeking to demonstrate unity around Tinubu’s re-election bid.
With the election approaching, the party will need to balance the influence of the Presidency with the interests of governors, national party leaders, legislators, political groups and grassroots organisations.
The ongoing consultations therefore represent more than an administrative adjustment to a campaign list. They are an attempt to manage competing interests within the ruling party and ensure that prominent stakeholders feel sufficiently represented in Tinubu’s re-election machinery.
For now, the APC leadership has indicated that the controversial list is not final.
The coming days are expected to reveal the extent of the changes and whether the revised structure can end the criticism surrounding the campaign council.
What remains clear is that the APC is moving quickly to contain the controversy before it grows into a political liability for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
