As preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum, the Concerned APC National Stakeholders Forum has pledged to base its re-election campaign on the performance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, persuasive ideas and constructive civic engagement rather than intimidation or personal attacks.
The group made the commitment in Abuja on Thursday during the inauguration of state coordinators for the Tinubu/Shettima Grassroots Canvassers, a structure established to mobilise voters nationwide.
Addressing the newly inaugurated coordinators, the Forum’s National Coordinator, Dr Dominic Alancha, said the effectiveness of the campaign structure would ultimately be determined by its performance at the polling-unit level.
He urged the campaigners to promote civility, facts and active listening, particularly when responding to concerns about government policies.
‘Our message to Nigerians is simple: Let us judge leadership by its record, policies, direction, and capacity to deliver-not merely by political rhetoric,’ Alancha said.
‘Our campaign must be a campaign of ideas, engagement, persuasion, and performance-not intimidation or abuse. Where Nigerians are angry, we must listen. Where they are hopeful, we must strengthen that hope. Where they do not understand government policies, we must explain them.’
Alancha acknowledged that political competition and criticism would intensify ahead of the 2027 elections but said the party’s communication strategy must extend beyond state capitals to rural wards, markets and local communities.
He charged the newly inaugurated coordinators to serve as brand ambassadors and frontline advocates of the progressive agenda, while cautioning them against political arrogance, the spread of unverified information, and insults to opponents.
‘If we deliver the polling units, we will deliver the wards. If we deliver the wards, we will deliver the local governments… and if we deliver the states, we will secure victory in 2027,’ he said.
‘Do not create unnecessary enemies. Do not insult political opponents. Build bridges, engage communities, and demonstrate that progressive politics can be conducted with dignity.’
The guest speaker, Dr Alabi Femi, who spoke on the theme, ‘Engendering Progressive Governance: The Role of Citizens,’ described the inauguration as an important step towards strengthening democratic participation at the grassroots.
He urged political actors and citizens to support initiatives that promote national unity, stressing that meaningful political engagement must be based on facts and mutual respect.