The Critical Issues In The APC Presidential Campaign Council -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

Just as his cabinet is, four days ago, on the August 22, 2026, Tinubu released a jumbo list of 286 person comprising who-is-who in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in his campaign council preparatory for the 2027 presidential election coming up in January. Tinubu named himself the chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and his deputy, Kassim Shettima and the APC national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as the vice-chairmen with the former Zamfara State governor Senator Abdulaziz Yari as Campaign Director-general and the “Supreme Court-made” governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma as the secretary. His jumbo list has been the subject of discussions in many socio-political circles with many expressing surprise at the exclusion of some known political bigwigs in the party and the inclusion of some political baggage and some dismissing the campaign Council as “an assembly of discredited yes-men”.

The surprise exclusions from the list according to experts based on their past campaign experiences are: Festus Keyamo, the current Aviation Minister, Simon Lalong, the former Plateau State governor who served as Director-general in his last Presidential Campaign Council in 2023, Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA) who previously served as the Director Field Operation for the Buhari Presidential Campaign in 2019 and Femi Fani-Kayode who is believed to be vast in campaign strategies having served as campaign DG before now.

Apart from the Abdulaziz Yari appointment as the DG of the Campaign Council which has been heavily criticized based on his past antecedent, many Nigerians have raised serious concerns about the inclusion of some other names in the APC Presidential Council. The most worrisome being the inclusion of Zacch Adedeji as the Deputy Director of Fundraising for the Council. This actually raises ethical questions. Why should the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) Chairman be appointed in the directorate of fund raising in the APC Presidential Campaign Council? Are they going to use tax-payers’ money to fund Tinubu’s re-election campaign? There is also complaint about the inclusion of Betta Edu, the former Minister for Humanitarian Services who was suspended from Tinubu’s cabinet due to corruption cases and Ngozi Olejeme who is facing a corruption case with the EFCC. Many are wondering whether Tinubu is planning to use proceeds from corruption to fund his campaign.

In his address during the inauguration of the campaign Council, Tinubu said among other things that: “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.”

In the Tinubu’s own estimation, he has done well and should be re-elected. He wants his campaign team to trumpet his achievement for all to see. But it is not difficult to see that Tinubu’s achievement claim is not backed up with facts and evidence. There is nothing on the ground to show that Nigerian has made any economic progress in the last three of Tinubu’s administration. In fact, the Nigerian economic fortunes have regressed under Tinubu leaving the people hopeless and disillusioned. Under Tinubu, Nigeria retains its position as the poverty capital of the world with over 130 million Nigerians multi-dimensionally poor. Youth unemployment is over 30%, number out-of-school children is increasing at over 40 million. The bastardization of the Naira has pushed consumer products out of the reach of the common man. The government is accumulating external debt on daily basis to finance white elephants while they deceive the public with the chant of economic reform. The only thing growing in Tinubu’s administration is corruption. Outside the economy, Nigeria is facing political instability as the nation’s fragile democracy is endangered with the plot of the ruling party to turn the nation into a one-party state. National unity is bruised by Tinubu’s divisive policies of exclusion. There is impunity, suppression and gross human rights violation as insecurity and social vices are growing in leaps and bounds.

Obviously, Tinubu and his team has nothing tangible to campaign with. So, he plans to employ unorthodox means to perpetuate himself in power. His reference to “those forces who plan to take our country backwards” referring to the opposition is quite uncharitable. If there is anybody who has taken Nigeria backwards, it is Tinubu himself who has compromised state institutions and turned them to his private company. From the look of things Tinubu is not ready for fair play and issue-based campaign. He wants to win by propaganda, intimidation and maybe inducement which many believe was the reason for his policy of mass impoverishment of the citizens.

Yes, Tinubu’s charge to his campaign team is meant to put them in overdrive to win at all costs. In 2023, during the electioneering campaign, he told his thugs that “power is not served a la carte, you have to grab it, snatch it and run with it.” And Nigerians watched helplessly as he snatched power and foisted himself on us. And recently, Tinubu was quoted to have said during the Catholic Bishop’s Conference visit to him at Aso Rock that: ‘all is fair in politics”. To Tinubu, you can win by fraud; the end justifies the means. That is his political philosophy. And as the count down to the presidential election begins, it is left for Nigerians to decide to free themselves from the yoke of the APC or collect handouts from the APC hawks and mortgage their future again. But, I will advise Nigerians to emulate Osun people: resist intimidation, resist the urge to collect handouts, vote and make sure your votes count. And together, we can reclaim our country and free ourselves from chains. God bless Nigeria!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com

An actress, social activist, politician

London, UK