President Bola Tinubu met behind closed doors with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as efforts intensified to resolve the controversy surrounding the party’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council list.
The meeting was part of a series of consultations involving the President, APC governors and other senior party leaders following the release of the controversial 223-member campaign council list on August 23, 2026.
The APC governors arrived at the President’s office shortly before 4:00pm after attending a separate meeting of the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The consultations, which began on Wednesday, focused on reviewing and making adjustments to the campaign council structure.
The initial list generated criticism within the party, particularly over the inclusion of some chieftains facing corruption-related charges. There were also complaints that important sections of the APC were not adequately consulted during the preparation of the list.
Multiple party sources said discussions that began around 4:00pm on Wednesday continued until about 11:00pm but were not concluded, prompting further consultations on Thursday.
Although the full extent of the proposed changes remained unclear, sources close to the APC governors and other party leaders said the list had been reviewed.
One party source said the initial list had been removed from the APC’s official X account, with a revised version expected to be released after President Tinubu approves the outcome of the consultations.
“The list is part of the main agenda of the meeting,” the source said, pointing to the removal of the earlier version from the party’s social media account.
Another senior party figure claimed that the party itself had not been sufficiently involved in preparing the original list.
The source said the President was now personally handling the situation and that changes were expected following the consultations.
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Amid preparations for the 2027 election, the APC is also expected to place greater emphasis on social intervention programmes.
Party sources said the planned initiatives are intended to reach more Nigerians and ease some of the economic difficulties facing citizens ahead of the January 2027 election.
The move is expected to form part of the ruling party’s broader campaign strategy as it seeks to strengthen its connection with voters.
The APC had previously released its expanded Presidential Campaign Council, with President Tinubu named as chairman.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, were named as first and second vice chairmen respectively.
Senator Abdulaziz Yari was appointed Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was named Secretary.
The 223-member structure includes directorates responsible for areas such as finance, extractive industries, education, manufacturing and MSMEs, support group coordination, faith-based mobilization, labour relations, grassroots engagement, digital operations and welfare.
Following the backlash over the list, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said adjustments could be made where necessary.
Dare maintained that the campaign structure was still incomplete because several subcommittees had yet to be constituted.
He explained that additional names could be accommodated through those subcommittees and insisted that the existing list had not been withdrawn.
Dare also stressed that the campaign list was not final, saying adjustments should not necessarily be interpreted as a wholesale review.
According to him, a review would amount to a complete restructuring, whereas the expected changes would only address areas considered necessary.
The additional subcommittees, he said, would also create opportunities for more APC members and political stakeholders to participate in the campaign structure.
With consultations continuing, attention is now focused on the revised campaign structure and how the APC will manage internal concerns ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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