• Wike, Adeleke, Soludo named campaign coordinators in revised APC structure
• Minister says Rainbow Coalition will unite Tinubu’s supporters across party lines
• APC challenges opposition to present manifestos, engage in policy debates
• Tompolo mobilises Lagosians for Tinubu’s re-election, unveils 57 vehicles
• Adeleke’s campaign council pledges 1.5m votes for Tinubu in Osun
• Atiku’s aide demands disclosure of Wike’s media chat costs
• Abbas warns lawmakers against abandoning legislative duties for campaigns

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is banking on cross-party alliances to strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s re-election chances, bringing opposition figures and governors into a campaign structure designed to widen his political reach before the 2027 election.

The revised campaign structure appoints Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party; and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as campaign coordinators in their respective territories.

The structure is scheduled to be inaugurated by Tinubu at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today at 11:00 a.m.

It also features Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who have been elevated to deputy vice-chairmen, while Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq occupies another deputy vice-chairmanship position.

Senator Abdulaziz Yari remains director-general, with other senior party and government figures assigned responsibilities across the campaign structure.

Former Kwara Senator Gbemisola Saraki is among the new entrants, listed as zonal secretary in the Contact and Mobilisation Directorate for the North-Central.

Not all prominent figures appearing in the revised document are new entrants.

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, for instance, was already listed as Director of Finance and Treasury and retains that responsibility while also appearing as Delta State campaign coordinator.

Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola had previously been assigned to South-West stakeholders’ mobilisation, while Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo was already part of the media and strategic communications structure.

The changes also leave questions about some appointments in the original document.

Abdulfatai Yaya Seriki, who was listed as North-Central Zonal Director of Youth Mobilisation, does not appear under that assignment in the revised list, although the Youth Mobilisation Directorate remains in the structure.

Similarly, the six zonal directors previously named for election planning, coordination and mobilisation — Olushola Adeyeye for the South-West, Ngozi Olejeme for the South-South, Uche Ekwunife for the South-East, Muntaqha Rabe for the North-West, Ahmed Muhammed Ketso for the North-Central and Sani Danladi for the North-East — are not reproduced under their former assignments.

The Directorate of Election Planning, Coordination and Monitoring remains in place under Member of the House of Representatives, Abiodun Faleke, with secretaries and members listed.

The absence of the earlier zonal appointments, however, does not by itself establish that the individuals have been formally removed from the campaign council.

The changes follow the controversy surrounding the original list in August, when questions were raised over its status.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka dismissed reports that the list had been withdrawn, saying, “Rumours are not news,” and indicating that any adjustments would be announced properly.

Wike defends Rainbow Coalition, dismisses fears of APC division
THE development came as Wike defended the emerging Rainbow Coalition mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, insisting that the initiative would neither weaken the All Progressives Congress nor create divisions among its governors.

Speaking during a media parley in Abuja yesterday, Wike said the coalition was designed to broaden support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election by bringing together APC members and supporters of the President from other political parties.

He said the initiative was intended to rally Nigerians across party lines behind the President rather than displace the ruling party or undermine its political structure.

Wike, who coordinates the coalition’s activities in Rivers State and the FCT, maintained that Tinubu’s electoral prospects should take precedence over partisan considerations, particularly in states where political interests and alliances differ.

“If you see that word, PBAT/APC, it means those who are supporting the President who are not members of the party, together with the party, are working together to achieve that purpose,” he said.

According to the minister, the arrangement recognises that support for Tinubu extends beyond APC membership and allows people from other political platforms to contribute to his re-election campaign.

“The major thing is Mr President. Whatever we are going to do, whoever has any idea or anything to contribute is to the success of Mr President. That is the whole thing,” he added.

Wike dismissed suggestions that the coalition had unsettled APC governors or could trigger tensions within the ruling party, insisting that the initiative posed no problem.

“I don’t know what concerns there are. As far as I am concerned, there is no problem,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor cited political arrangements in the FCT as an example of how the coalition could accommodate different interests while pursuing a common objective.

He recalled appealing to political stakeholders in the territory to support Tinubu and APC candidates for the National Assembly while allowing supporters of other parties to make their choices at other levels of the elections.

Wike said the arrangement reflected political realities across the country, where local interests might differ from the party affiliations of those supporting the President at the national level.

He argued that political leadership required persuading people with different loyalties to work towards a shared goal, rather than insisting that support for a presidential candidate must come exclusively from members of the candidate’s party.

Stop attacking Tinubu, present your manifestos, APC tells opposition
THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, challenged opposition parties to present their manifestos and engage the ruling party in policy debates ahead of the 2027 general elections, rather than focus on personal attacks against President Bola Tinubu.

Yilwatda spoke in Abuja yesterday when the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development’s Council of the Wise, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, visited the APC National Working Committee for an advocacy engagement on peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

The APC chairman said political parties should focus on explaining how they intend to address Nigeria’s challenges instead of concentrating on insults and allegations against the President.

“If you have an opposition, place your roadmap. Place your plan before us. We have got to place our own work plan. What do we want to do for Nigeria?” he asked.

He said the APC was ready to engage opposition parties in intellectual discussions on competing policy proposals, adding that Nigerians deserved to assess political parties based on their plans for the country.

Earlier, Ariwoola urged the APC leadership to ensure that its candidates, officials and supporters complied with electoral laws, the party’s constitution and its code of conduct.

He warned against hate speech, inflammatory statements and other practices capable of provoking violence during political campaigns, stressing that the conduct of political parties would be critical to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

Ariwoola expressed the hope that political parties would learn from past electoral challenges and work collectively to ensure that the 2027 elections were free, fair, transparent and peaceful.

Tompolo urges Lagos residents to back Tinubu’s re-election in 2027
LEADER of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Government Ekpemupolo, has urged Lagos residents to prevent a repeat of the 2023 presidential election outcome in the state by voting massively for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

He called on residents to take advantage of the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the election.

Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, spoke through his representative, Kestin Pondi, in Lagos yesterday during a campaign rally for Tinubu’s re-election, where he presented 57 campaign vehicles to state coordinators.

“What happened in 2023 must not be repeated. He must win convincingly in 2027,” he said.

He described Tinubu as a selfless and courageous leader who had continued to implement bold reforms despite the political implications for his re-election, adding that the measures were already yielding results for Nigerians.

Ekpemupolo said Lagos had become a model for other states because of the restructuring and reforms introduced by Tinubu during his tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007.

Also speaking, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said Nigeria was moving towards economic stability under the Tinubu administration.

Sanwo-Olu said Tinubu had overseen more road construction than previous administrations within three years, provided relief to students, increased the minimum wage and made funds available for pension payments.

ICC lauds Tinubu for appointing Adeleke as Osun coordinator, promises 1.5m votes
THE Imole Campaign Council (ICC) lauded President Tinubu for appointing Governor Ademola Adeleke as the Osun State Coordinator, PBAT Presidential Campaign Council.

It described the appointment as well deserved, pledging that the president’s confidence in Adeleke’s ability to deliver Osun in the forthcoming presidential election will not be misplaced.

A statement by the Director-General of ICC, Senator Olalere Oyewumi, assured that the trust reposed in the governor would be justified through unwavering commitment and a strong electoral performance.

While promising to deliver 1.5 million votes for Tinubu in Osun, the statement assured that all the structures of Accord in Osun will work for his re-election.

The statement added: “Our message to the people of Osun State is to keep trusting and supporting Governor Adeleke as he continues to deliver on his campaign promises. A vote for President Tinubu is a support for Governor Adeleke.”

Atiku’s aide challenges Wike to disclose cost of media chats
PAUL Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to disclose how much public money is spent on his media chats.

Ibe made the call in a post on X yesterday, shortly after Wike’s latest media chat was broadcast live by several television and radio stations.

He questioned the cost of the broadcasts, urging the minister to publish invoices showing payments to participating stations, the sources of funding and the relevant budget lines.

According to Ibe, at least eight broadcast outlets aired yesterday’s session, including Arise Television, Channels Television, TVC, News Central, AIT, JDK, Aso TV and Radio, and ADBN.

Estimating airtime costs at between N10 million and N20 million per station per hour, Ibe said a two-hour broadcast across eight stations could cost between N160 million and N320 million.

He further estimated that holding such sessions monthly for a year could amount to between N1.92 billion and N3.84 billion.

“FCT residents deserve to know how much is being spent on these broadcasts and how much airtime is devoted to FCT development, rather than Wike’s political disagreements with Atiku, Amaechi, Obi, ADC and NDC,” he wrote.

Ibe said he had no objection to Wike explaining his stewardship as minister but maintained that public funds should be spent on activities that directly benefit residents of the territory.

Speaker warns lawmakers against abandoning duties for campaigns
SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has warned lawmakers against allowing 2027 election campaigns to distract them from their legislative duties.

He gave the warning yesterday as the House resumed plenary at the National Assembly, Abuja, after its annual recess, urging members to attend plenary and committee sittings regularly.

“I call on every Honourable Member to attend plenary and committee sittings faithfully. Legislation and oversight must not be abandoned for the campaign trail,” Abbas said.

He reminded lawmakers that their constituents elected them to serve a full term and deserved their continued commitment to legislative responsibilities.

His warning comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.