The All Progressives Congress (APC) has charged its governors, lawmakers, council chairmen and occasion executives to take President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign to the grassroots, saying the occasion’s management of the three tiers of presidency provides it a bonus that should be transformed into votes.
Hope Uzodimma, Imo State governor and Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), gave the cost on Wednesday in Abuja on the inauguration of the council for the 2027 election, the place the occasion’s management acknowledged that its in depth political construction wouldn’t by itself assure victory.
Mr Uzodimma mentioned the occasion should use its management of the federal, state and native governments to construct a coordinated campaign reaching wards and polling models throughout the nation.
Mr Uzodimma mentioned the gathering, which included APC governors, members of the National Assembly, occasion executives and native authorities chairmen, represented the occasion’s political construction throughout the federation.
“Every campaign is, at heart, local,” Mr Uzodimma mentioned, including that governors would lead campaigns of their states, council chairmen would take the message to native governments and wards, whereas legislators and occasion executives would work by means of their constituencies and polling models.
He mentioned the occasion managed the federal authorities, majorities in each chambers of the National Assembly, 31 of the 36 states and about 685 of the 774 native authorities councils.
“This is the strongest position any party has occupied in the Fourth Republic,” he mentioned.
But Mr Uzodimma warned that the APC’s dominance might create complacency if the occasion assumed its constructions mechanically translated into voter assist.
“A party that controls every tier of government can easily grow comfortable and begin to mistake the size of its structure for the depth of its support,” he mentioned.
“As critical as structures are, it is citizens who vote, and each one of them has to be persuaded.”
He urged occasion members to campaign peacefully and inside the legislation, saying the conduct of the governing occasion would affect the tone of the 2027 election.
The governor additionally requested Mr Tinubu to stay centered on governance somewhat than permit the campaign to distract him from implementing his insurance policies.
“Please, Your Excellency, leave the heavy lifting of this campaign to us,” he instructed the president.
Mr Uzodimma mentioned the APC would defend the administration’s financial reforms, together with the elimination of petrol subsidy and reforms to the tax system, whereas highlighting what he described as enhancements in financial indicators and authorities programmes.
He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, shopper credit score scheme, Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer and infrastructure tasks as areas the campaign would current to voters.
Mr Uzodimma mentioned the APC had no excuse to not win the election, however burdened that its members should first reconcile their variations and current a united campaign.
“The primaries are behind us,” he mentioned. “Whatever disagreements they may have left, the success of any one of us cannot be built on the failure of another.”
He mentioned the election would additionally function a referendum on the efficiency of APC governors, lawmakers and native authorities chairmen as a result of voters would decide the occasion throughout all ranges of presidency.
“Mr President will be on the ballot on 16 January 2027, but if we are honest with ourselves, so will we,” he mentioned.
The governor ultimately moved for a vote of confidence in Mr Tinubu’s management and dedicated the council to the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for a second time period.
The campaign council secretary mentioned the occasion’s argument for a second time period could be primarily based on the declare that Mr Tinubu’s first time period had laid the muse for financial restoration and that abandoning the reforms halfway would quantity to beginning the method once more.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, who can also be a member of the campaign council, equally framed the 2027 election as a alternative between persevering with Tinubu’s reforms and reversing them.
He mentioned the council’s accountability was not merely to organise rallies however to elucidate why “continuity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu serves Nigeria better than reversal.”
Mr Tajudeen mentioned the APC campaign ought to acknowledge the financial difficulties confronted by Nigerians whereas presenting proof of what he described as enhancements within the economic system.
He mentioned the Nigerian economic system grew by 4.2 per cent within the first half of 2026, whereas exterior reserves rose above $54 billion in September and the present account surplus reached $12 billion.
He additionally mentioned non-oil exports exceeded $6 billion in 2025, which he described as the best determine within the nation’s historical past.
“Stability must reach every household. Revenue must improve public services. Reform must create real opportunities. Growth must produce jobs,” the speaker mentioned.
He mentioned the House had supported the Tinubu administration by means of laws on scholar loans, the minimal wage, tax reforms, the Electoral Act 2026 and different measures.
According to him, the House obtained 2,747 payments and handed 363 in three years, whereas greater than 70 of the payments had obtained presidential assent.
Mr Tajudeen instructed campaign council members to behave as “ambassadors of fact, urging them to keep away from insults and reply to opposition criticism with proof.
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“An ambassador does not invent evidence. An ambassador masters it,” he mentioned.
“An ambassador does not insult the public. An ambassador respects its intelligence.”
He mentioned the campaign could be taken “constituency by constituency, ward by ward, street by street, door to door.”
Also talking, Ibrahim Masari, Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters, challenged members of the council to shift their consideration from conferences in Abuja to grassroots mobilisation.
Mr Masari mentioned the campaign ought to concentrate on polling models, wards, native governments and communities somewhat than “opening and painting offices” or holding pointless conferences.
“Stop talking to yourselves and start talking to the people,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the efficiency of members of the campaign council could be assessed primarily based on precise outcomes on the grassroots, somewhat than the variety of guarantees they made.
He additionally urged occasion members to keep away from hate speech, gossip and private grievances, and to work for the success of all APC candidates.
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