A former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has been appointed to lead the presidential campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
This followed the constitution of the APC Presidential Campaign Council by President Bola Tinubu on Saturday.
While President Tinubu appointed Yari as the council’s Director-General, he named Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State as the Secretary.
The appointments were contained in a statement signed by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, which was released on Saturday morning.
According to the statement, the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima will serve as Chairman and Vice-Chairman I of the council respectively.
The APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, will serve as Vice-Chairman II.
The APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Hadiza Bala-Usman were named Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary.
Tinubu, as chairman, will work with a body of advisers made up of former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, former Nasarawa State Governor and one-time Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and veteran politician, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, were assigned as deputy director-generals for the campaign in the South and North zones. They will work with Senator Bamidele Opeyemi and Senator Jibril Barau.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole will serve as Deputy Director-General for mobilisation, while the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, was named Deputy Director-General for administration.
James Faleke, who played a key role in the party’s 2022/2023 campaign, returns as Deputy Director-General for election planning, coordination and monitoring.
He will work with zonal directors, including Senator Olushola Adeyeye in the South-West, Dr Ngozi Olejeme in the South-South, Senator Uche Ekwunife in the South-East, Muntaqha Rabe in the North-West, Ahmed Muhammed Ketso in the North-Central and Senator Sani Danladi in the North-East.
Stella Okotete, Abdullahi Garba Ramat and Audu Maikori were named secretaries of the election planning directorate. Muiz Banire, SAN, will lead the legal directorate as Director, with 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 alongside Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa-Onilu. Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and Felix Morka were named coordinating deputy directors of the same directorate, while Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Temitope Ajayi, Aderonke Arabirin and Frederick Nwabufo will serve as coordinating secretaries.
Segun Dada, who held the position in 2022, returns as Director, New Media, with Solomon Arowolo as Secretary.
The campaign also named five spokespersons led by Alake, alongside Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.
In the statement, Tinubu charged all council members to work tirelessly to deliver victory for the party in the January 2027 elections.
He urged directorate leaders to reach out to other party members not formally listed to join the campaign effort.
The statement read, “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.”
