APC Leaders Urged to Mobilise Grassroots Support for Tinubu's 2027 Campaign

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has tasked its governors, lawmakers, council chairmen, and party leaders to take President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign to the grassroots. They believe that the party’s control over all levels of government can be turned into votes if properly mobilised.

Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State and Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), made this statement on Wednesday in Abuja during the council’s inauguration for the 2027 election. He pointed out that having a strong political structure is not enough to guarantee victory.

Mr Uzodimma stressed that the party must use its influence in the federal, state, and local governments to create a well-coordinated campaign that reaches every ward and polling unit in the country. He noted that the gathering included APC governors, National Assembly members, party leaders, and local government chairmen, showing the party’s structure across the nation.

“Every campaign is, at heart, local,” Mr Uzodimma said. He added that governors will lead campaigns in their states, council chairmen will carry the message to local governments and wards, while legislators and party leaders will work through their constituencies and polling units.

He highlighted that the APC controls the federal government, has majorities in both chambers of the National Assembly, 31 out of the 36 states, and about 685 local government councils. “This is the strongest position any party has occupied in the Fourth Republic,” he said.

But Mr Uzodimma warned that the APC’s power could lead to complacency if the party thinks its structure guarantees voter support. “A party that controls every tier of government can easily grow comfortable and begin to mistake the size of its structure for the depth of its support,” he explained.

He reminded members that citizens are the ones who vote, and they must be convinced. He urged party members to campaign peacefully and within the law, stating that the conduct of the governing party will set the tone for the 2027 election.

The governor also advised Mr Tinubu to focus on governance and not let the campaign distract him from his policies. “Please, Your Excellency, leave the heavy lifting of this campaign to us,” he told the president.

Mr Uzodimma said the APC would defend the administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and tax reforms. He mentioned the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, consumer credit scheme, Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer, and infrastructure projects as key areas for the campaign.

He stated that the APC has no excuse not to win the election, but added that members must first resolve their differences and present a united front. “The primaries are behind us,” he said. “Whatever disagreements they may have left, the success of any one of us cannot be built on the failure of another.”

The election will also be a chance for voters to judge the performance of APC governors, lawmakers, and local government chairmen. “Mr President will be on the ballot on 16 January 2027, but if we are honest with ourselves, so will we,” he remarked.

The governor later moved for a vote of confidence in Mr Tinubu’s leadership and pledged the council's support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for a second term. The council secretary mentioned that the party’s argument for a second term would focus on claims that Mr Tinubu’s first term laid the groundwork for economic recovery and that abandoning the reforms now would mean starting over.

Abbas Tajudeen, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a member of the campaign council, framed the 2027 election as a choice between continuing Tinubu’s reforms or reversing them. He said the council’s job is not just to organise rallies but to explain why “continuity under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu serves Nigeria better than reversal.”

Mr Tajudeen acknowledged the economic difficulties Nigerians face while also presenting what he called improvements in the economy. He pointed out that the Nigerian economy grew by 4.2 percent in the first half of 2026, with external reserves surpassing $54 billion in September and the current account surplus reaching $12 billion.

He added that non-oil exports exceeded $6 billion in 2025, marking the highest figure in Nigeria’s history. “Stability must reach every household. Revenue must improve public services. Reform must create real opportunities. Growth must produce jobs,” the speaker stated.

He mentioned that the House has supported the Tinubu administration through legislation on student loans, minimum wage, tax reforms, the Electoral Act 2026, and other measures. The House received 2,747 bills and passed 363 in three years, with over 70 receiving presidential assent.

Mr Tajudeen urged campaign council members to act as “ambassadors of truth” and avoid insults. He said they should respond to opposition criticism with facts. “An ambassador does not invent evidence. An ambassador masters it,” he stated. “An ambassador does not insult the public. An ambassador respects its intelligence.”

He explained that the campaign would reach people “constituency by constituency, ward by ward, street by street, door to door.” Ibrahim Masari, Special Adviser to the President on Political and Other Matters, also urged council members to focus on grassroots mobilisation rather than just meetings in Abuja.

Mr Masari stressed the campaign should target polling units, wards, local governments, and communities instead of just “opening and painting offices” or holding unnecessary gatherings. “Stop talking to yourselves and start talking to the people,” he said.

He said the success of campaign council members would be judged by the actual results at the grassroots, not just by the promises they make. He also advised party members to avoid hate speech, gossip, and personal issues, and to work towards the success of all APC candidates.