Tinubu, Shettima to lead APC campaign council as Yari emerges DG

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council as chairman and vice chairman respectively ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The composition of the campaign council was announced on Saturday, with former Zamfara State Governor and Senator representing Zamfara West, Abdulaziz Yari, named as Director-General.

APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, will serve as another vice chairman of the council, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has been appointed secretary.

The APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, and Hadiza Bala-Usman will serve as deputy secretary and assistant secretary respectively.

According to the statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy and Coordinating Director for Media and Strategic Communication of the campaign council, Tinubu will be supported by a council of senior advisers.

The advisers include former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; veteran journalist and former Ogun State Governor, Chief Segun Osoba; former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha; former APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; and Senator Florence Ita Giwa.

The leadership structure also provides for a broad regional and operational arrangement involving senior party leaders and government officials.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni have been appointed deputy directors-general for the campaign in the South and North.

They will work with Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau in coordinating activities across the two geopolitical blocs.

Former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has been appointed Deputy Director-General in charge of mobilisation, while the President’s Chief of Staff will serve as Deputy Director-General for Administration.

James Abiodun Faleke, who played a key role in the APC’s 2022/2023 presidential campaign, will return as Deputy Director-General in charge of election planning, coordination and monitoring.

Faleke will coordinate a team of zonal directors responsible for the six geopolitical zones.

The zonal directors are Senator Olushola Adeyeye for the South-West, Dr Ngozi Olejeme for the South-South, Senator Uche Ekwunife for the South-East, Muntaqha Rabe for the North-West, Ahmed Muhammed Ketso for the North-Central and Senator Sani Danladi for the North-East.

Stella Okotete, Engineer Abdullahi Garba Ramat and Audu Maikori will serve as secretaries of the Election Planning Directorate.

Legal team

The campaign council has also constituted a legal directorate to handle legal matters arising from the election and campaign activities.

Muiz Adeyemi Banire will head the directorate as director, with Dr Liman Hassan and Babatunde Ogala serving as deputy directors.

Other members of the legal team include Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema; Worgu Boms; and Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh.

Media and strategic communication

The media and strategic communication directorate will be coordinated by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who will work alongside former presidential spokesman Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa-Onilu.

Other members of the directorate include Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, who will serve as coordinating deputy directors.

Abdulaziz AbdulAziz, Temitope Ajayi, Arabinrin Aderonke and Frederick Nwabufor have been appointed coordinating secretaries of the media directorate.

Segun Dada will head the New Media Directorate as director, a position he also occupied during the 2022/2023 presidential campaign, while Solomon Arowolo will serve as secretary of the New Media Directorate.

The council has also appointed five spokespersons, with Dele Alake as lead spokesperson. Others are Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.

The appointments bring together senior party figures, serving government officials and operatives who played prominent roles in the APC’s previous presidential campaign.

The campaign council is expected to coordinate the party’s nationwide mobilisation, messaging, election planning, legal strategy and campaign activities as the APC prepares for the 2027 presidential election.

Tinubu charges council to secure victory

President Tinubu has charged members of the campaign council to work relentlessly towards securing victory for the APC in the 2027 presidential election.

He also directed the leaders of the various directorates to reach out to party members who were not included in the formal list but could contribute to the campaign effort.

The President said the administration had fulfilled its campaign promises and positioned the country for economic recovery, urging the campaign team to communicate the government’s achievements effectively to voters.

“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,” Tinubu said.

He urged the campaign team to use the campaign season to highlight the administration’s achievements and present its record to 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,” he said.

The President further charged the council to defeat opposition forces seeking to dislodge the APC from power.

“Let us soundly defeat all those forces who plan to take our country backwards,” he added.

The campaign council’s composition comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with parties expected to begin consolidating their structures, messaging and nationwide mobilisation strategies.

The statement was signed by Onanuga on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in his capacity as Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy and Coordinating Director for Media and Strategic Communication of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.