The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports that it plans to alter its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council following backlash over the composition of the structure.
Felix Morka, APC National Publicity Secretary, told BusinessDay that any changes to the council would be formally announced by the party, describing reports of an impending shake-up as speculation.
‘If there is any change or anything at all, it will be published by the authorities of the party. So there is no such thing. People are just writing what they like to see. So just ignore them,’ Morka said in a telephone interview.
His comments came amid reports that President Bola Tinubu and the party leadership were considering changes to the council days after its unveiling, following complaints over the omission of some political heavyweights, the inclusion of controversial figures and concerns about the balance of the campaign structure.
Sources within the APC told BusinessDay that the composition had generated internal concerns, particularly over the absence of political operators considered important to the Tinubu-Shettima re-election campaign and those with strong grassroots structures in the North.
A senior APC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said complaints had prompted discussions over the council’s composition.
‘There were several complaints about the composition of the list. So a new list is being worked out. It is a comprehensive list comprising Vice President Kashim Shettima’s allies who were omitted in the earlier list,’ the source said.
‘Some of those listed in the first list are also being replaced. The opposition is already cashing in on the controversy, and we are not leaving anything that could undermine the re-election campaign,’ the official added.
Another senior party source said the initial composition had raised ‘genuine political concerns’, adding that any final decision would be handled at the Presidency.
The controversy followed the APC’s announcement of the campaign council, with Tinubu named Chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima and Nentawe Yilwatda, APC National Chairman, as Vice Chairmen; Senator Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara State governor, as Director-General; and Hope Uzodimma, Imo State governor, as Secretary.
The list also included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Abdullahi Ganduje, former Kano State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo State governor, and Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, alongside APC governors and other senior party figures.
However, questions have been raised over the inclusion of Betta Edu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and Ngozi Olejeme, former Chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
Edu was named Director of Women Mobilisation, while Olejeme was assigned as South-South Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation.
The inclusion of Zacheus Adedeji, Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, as Deputy Director of Fundraising has also attracted criticism, with opponents questioning whether his public office is compatible with a partisan fundraising role.
Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), described the council as a ‘rehabilitation centre’ for politicians facing corruption allegations and demanded explanations over the inclusion of individuals previously investigated or prosecuted over financial misconduct.
Dino Melaye, former Kogi West Senator, also questioned Adedeji’s role, asking whether there was a conflict between heading the nation’s revenue administration and serving in a partisan fundraising structure.
Beyond the controversial inclusions, some party members have questioned the absence of experienced campaigners and political mobilisers from prominent positions.
Among those whose absence has attracted attention are Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development; Simon Lalong, former Plateau State governor; Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser; Yahaya Bello, former Kogi State governor; Gbenga Daniel, former Ogun State governor; Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun State governor; and Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Lalong served as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2023, while several of the other figures have played significant roles in party mobilisation and previous presidential campaigns.
The competing claims come as political parties begin positioning for the 2027 presidential election, with the APC facing pressure to maintain cohesion across its competing political interests and regional structures.
Party strategists have raised concerns that unresolved grievances over the campaign council could create parallel structures, weaken coordination and affect grassroots mobilisation.
If changes are eventually made, party sources said the council would need to address regional balance, mobilisation capacity, youth and women outreach, parliamentary coordination, fundraising, media strategy and the integration of influential party figures omitted from the initial list.
For now, however, the APC maintains that there is no official decision to alter the council, leaving the reported review at odds with the party’s public position.