The re-election of President Bola Tinubu has emerged as a major priority as leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gathered in Maiduguri, Borno State, for a three-day national strategic retreat focused on strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC, in a post on its X handle on Saturday, said the retreat, which began on Thursday and ended on Saturday, was designed to review the party’s structures, improve internal coordination and sharpen its electoral strategy ahead of the polls.
BusinessDay reports that the APC’s preparations are unfolding against the backdrop of a rapidly changing opposition landscape, with major political figures pursuing different strategies to challenge Tinubu’s bid for a second term.
The party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, had met with state chairmen and other key stakeholders from across the 36 states at the retreat themed, ‘Strengthening party organisation, unity and electoral readiness towards 2027.’
According to the APC, discussions at the meeting centred on strengthening the party’s organisation and electoral preparedness ahead of the 2027 polls, with Tinubu’s re-election and the election of other APC candidates featuring prominently on the agenda.
The development came barely six weeks after the commencement of the presidential and National Assembly campaigns.
BusinessDay reports that the presidential and National Assembly campaigns began on August 19, while campaigns for governorship and State House of Assembly candidates began on September 9, 2026.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will be held on February 6, 2027, under INEC’s revised timetable.
With less than four months to the presidential and National Assembly polls, the Maiduguri retreat provides the ruling party an opportunity to assess its readiness, coordinate its structures and address organisational issues ahead of the decisive phase of the campaign.
For the APC, the Maiduguri retreat therefore comes at a point when the party is seeking to consolidate its national structure, align its state organisations and translate its incumbency advantage into coordinated electoral mobilisation.
As the January 16, 2027 presidential election approaches, both the ruling APC and opposition parties are consequently intensifying efforts to strengthen their respective political structures and strategies, setting the stage for a contest in which competing parties will seek to convert their organisational and political alliances into votes at the ballot.