By Our Reporters
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday named former Zamfara State Governor Senator, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, as Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election, a decision that signals a strategic shift in the ruling party’s approach to winning elections.
The announcement, contained in a State House statement issued by Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga, confirmed months of speculation over who would lead the APC’s re-election machinery.
The 108-member council, significantly smaller than the 422-member structure deployed in 2023, places Yari at the strategic helm with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma serving as Secretary.
Yari has formally accepted the appointment in an official statement, expressing gratitude to President Tinubu and the APC leadership for the confidence reposed in him. “I accept this responsibility with deep gratitude and full seriousness. My sincere thanks go to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party for the trust placed in me, and to our party leadership for the confidence. I do not take it lightly”, he said.
Describing the campaign as more than an electoral contest, Yari said it would be “a conversation with the Nigerian people in every state, every language, every faith about the future we are building together.”
He pledged to conduct the campaign “with discipline, unity and respect for all Nigerians,” and called on citizens across political divides to “choose progress over division,” adding that the APC would “earn your confidence not with noise, but with a record we can stand behind.” “By the grace of God, and with the effort of us all, we will deliver victory in January 2027,” he concluded.
Analysts believe that the choice of Yari reflects a deliberate calculation about what the APC needs to win in 2027, and who is best positioned to deliver it.
To some, Yari’s appointment carries the unmistakable weight of political debt and strategic positioning.
It would be recalled that in the 2023 contest for Senate President, Yari was a formidable opponent to Godswill Akpabio, ultimately conceding after what he described as a “gang-up” led by President Tinubu. By placing Yari at the centre of his re-election machinery, Tinubu is consolidating the support of a powerful northern politician and signalling that old rivalries are firmly behind the party.
Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Patron of Tinubu’s 2023 campaign, has framed Yari’s emergence as a strategic masterstroke.
In a statement endorsing the appointment, Shinkafi argued that the 2027 presidential contest will not be decided by Abuja politics alone. Rather, victory will depend on who can penetrate the grassroots, command party structures, build durable alliances and ultimately translate political influence into votes. According to Shinkafi, Yari possesses precisely those qualities, the political structure, experience and loyalty required to lead the APC campaign to victory.
Yari’s political journey offers clues to the thinking behind the appointment. He began in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), serving as State Secretary and later State Chairman in Zamfara, where he played a major role in securing the re-election of former Governor Ahmad Sani Yarima in 2003.
He later served as National Treasurer of the ANPP, represented Anka/Talata Mafara in the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, and became governor of Zamfara State. His involvement in the formation of the APC, particularly his decision to champion the party in Zamfara while serving as an opposition governor, is cited by supporters as evidence of his willingness to take bold political risks.
Prince Williams Akporeha, National Coordinator of Working People United and former President of NUPENG, echoed this sentiment, describing Yari as a tested political leader with considerable experience in governance, party organisation and grassroots mobilisation. Akporeha argued that Yari’s appointment provides the APC with an experienced hand capable of coordinating its structures, deepening grassroots mobilisation and effectively communicating President Tinubu’s policies and achievements to Nigerians.
Shinkafi further highlighted Yari’s family background and education, describing his upbringing in the Kayayen Mafara family as one shaped by traditional values, scholarship and community service. He also pointed to Yari’s exposure to Islamic and Western education, including postgraduate studies at the University of Salford, as part of the experience that shaped his political and governance outlook.
The Campaign Structure
President Tinubu will serve as Chairman of the campaign council, with Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice Chairman. APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda has also been named Vice Chairman. A council of advisers will support the President, comprising elder statesmen including former APC National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, 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.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abass and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni have been assigned as Deputy Directors-General for the campaign in the South and North. They will work with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and Deputy Senate President Jibril Barau in coordinating the two geopolitical blocs.
Adams Oshiomhole, the former Edo State governor, will serve as Deputy Director-General in charge of Mobilisation, placing him at the centre of the APC’s grassroots voter engagement efforts. The President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, will oversee administration as Deputy Director-General.
James Abiodun Faleke returns to the campaign structure as Deputy Director-General for Election Planning, Coordination and Monitoring, a role he performed in the 2022/2023 campaign. Faleke will coordinate zonal directors across the six geopolitical zones: 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 were named secretaries of the Election Planning Directorate.
Legal and Media Machinery
Muiz Adeyemi Banire will head the Legal Directorate, with Dr Liman Hassan and Babatunde Ogala serving as deputies. Other members include the 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.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, will serve as Coordinating Director for Media and Strategic Communication, alongside Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa-Onilu. Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and Felix Morka have been appointed Coordinating Deputy Directors in the media directorate. Segun Dada returns as Director of New Media, a role he held during the 2022 campaign, with Solomon Arowolo serving as Secretary.
The campaign also named five spokespersons, led by Dele Alake. Others are Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.
Youth and Women Mobilisation
The campaign council includes a robust structure for youth and women mobilisation. Honourable Dr Dayo A. Israel has been appointed Deputy Director for Youth Mobilisation, with zonal directors named across all six geopolitical zones. Rinsola Abiola serves as Secretary of the Youth Mobilisation Directorate.
Betta Chimaobim Edu has been appointed Director for Women Mobilisation, with Senator Abiodun Olujimi and Senator Binta Masi Garba serving as Deputy Directors. The party’s National Women Leader serves as Secretary.
Accepting the appointment, Yari described the campaign as a conversation with the Nigerian people in every state, every language, every faith about the future we are building together. He pledged to conduct the campaign with discipline, unity and respect for all Nigerians.
Yari called on Nigerians across political divides to choose progress over division, stressing that the APC would seek to earn public confidence through its record rather than noise. He said he accepted the responsibility with deep gratitude and full seriousness, thanking President Tinubu and the party for the trust placed in him.
The choice of Yari signals that the APC’s 2027 strategy will prioritise grassroots mobilisation over oratory, and party structure over Abuja politics. Shinkafi’s blunt assessment captures the thinking behind the appointment: the 2027 presidential contest will not be decided by Abuja politics alone, but by who can penetrate the grassroots, command party structures, build durable alliances and ultimately translate political influence into votes.
For the campaign to succeed, stakeholders must close ranks and support the campaign council rather than allow internal interests to weaken the machinery being assembled for the presidential contest. Shinkafi described Yari as a pillar of political strength in Zamfara, northern Nigeria and across the federation, arguing that his experience could help consolidate the gains of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The campaigns for the January 16, 2027 presidential election officially began on August 19, 2026. President Tinubu had earlier won the APC presidential primary on May 24, 2026, securing the party’s nomination for a second term. The unveiling of the campaign council immediately after the official campaign start date signals a proactive approach to the election.
Whether Yari’s political networks can be transformed into a coherent nationwide electoral machine capable of surviving the pressures of a presidential election remains to be seen. For now, the APC has moved early to establish its campaign command structure, positioning its political machinery for an intense nationwide contest as the January 2027 election draws closer.
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