When I saw the composition of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election, my first thought was that the structure presents an opportunity for the party to combine the experience of its established political leaders with the energy, competence and fresh ideas of a new generation of Nigerians.
As nation-builders, we should be interested in what will make the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeed. The purpose of this intervention is therefore not to oppose the President or the All Progressives Congress, but to offer constructive observations that could strengthen the party’s campaign, improve its connection with the electorate and ultimately contribute to a successful 2027 election.
The Presidency has announced a campaign council comprising serving public officers, senior politicians, party leaders and other stakeholders. President Tinubu chairs the council, while the Vice President, APC National Chairman, National Assembly leaders, governors, ministers and other senior officeholders occupy important positions. The subsequently published expanded list contains 223 appointments across several directorates.
The breadth of the structure demonstrates the importance the party attaches to the forthcoming election. However, it also provides an opportunity to consider how campaign responsibilities can be managed without affecting the important responsibilities these individuals already carry in government.
Nigeria remains a country with significant challenges. Citizens expect continued attention to security, infrastructure, food production, employment, electricity, healthcare and economic reforms. These responsibilities cannot be placed on hold because an election is approaching.
The best approach, therefore, would be to ensure that serving public officers who have been given campaign responsibilities are able to contribute without allowing political activities to interfere with the effective discharge of their official duties.
This is not an argument against their participation. Their experience, political networks and understanding of government can be valuable to the campaign. Rather, it is a call for a clear separation of responsibilities, effective delegation and strong operational coordination.
The APC also has an opportunity to strengthen the campaign structure by looking beyond familiar political personalities and creating meaningful space for professionals who understand contemporary political communication and grassroots engagement.
Political experience remains important. However, elections are changing. Voters are increasingly exposed to information through social media, digital platforms, community networks and independent sources. Campaigns now require expertise in data analysis, strategic communication, behavioural research, digital engagement, public policy, community mobilisation and rapid response.
There are Nigerians with these skills across different sectors of society. Many are young professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, communications specialists, community organisers, technology experts and development practitioners who may not have held political office but have valuable knowledge to contribute.
Bringing such people into the campaign should not be viewed as a rejection of established politicians. Instead, it should be seen as an opportunity to complement political experience with professional competence.
The APC can therefore build a campaign structure in which experienced political leaders provide strategic direction while younger professionals and grassroots specialists are given sufficient responsibility to execute clearly defined programmes.
Every directorate should ideally have measurable responsibilities, realistic targets and appropriate resources. This would make it easier to determine what is working, identify areas requiring improvement and reward those who deliver.
Campaign appointments should also be viewed as opportunities to build capacity rather than merely as recognition of political loyalty. Loyalty is an important quality in politics, but competence is equally important when the objective is to win an election and subsequently deliver good governance.
President Tinubu’s administration has introduced significant economic and institutional changes since taking office. Some of these reforms have generated difficult short-term consequences for citizens, while the government has consistently argued that they are necessary to establish a stronger foundation for long-term growth.
Whether one agrees with every aspect of the administration’s policies or not, there is a clear need for effective communication with citizens. Government must be able to explain not only what it is doing but why it is doing it, what benefits citizens should expect and how the government intends to address the difficulties that accompany major reforms.
This is where a broader campaign structure can be particularly useful.
The President needs people who can accurately communicate the mood of the country and provide honest feedback from different segments of society. Market women, farmers, artisans, teachers, students, professionals, religious communities, entrepreneurs and unemployed young people all experience government policies differently.
Their concerns should reach the decision-making table without unnecessary filtering.
The administration will be stronger when people around the President are confident enough to tell him what is working, what is not working and what citizens are saying outside government circles.
This is also an area where the APC can learn from previous administrations.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, for instance, provided opportunities for professionals such as Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Dr Akinwumi Adesina to contribute their expertise to national development. Dr Okonjo-Iweala brought extensive international economic experience to government, while Dr Adesina served as Minister of Agriculture before becoming President of the African Development Bank.
One does not have to agree with every policy or decision of that administration to recognise the value of bringing competent professionals into positions where their expertise can contribute to governance.
The same principle can strengthen the Tinubu administration and the APC’s 2027 campaign.
Nigeria needs a political system in which established leaders and emerging professionals work together. Experience should not be discarded, but it should be complemented by new ideas.
The 2027 election will also require the APC to understand the changing behaviour of Nigerian voters.
Many Nigerians are now politically sophisticated and have access to multiple sources of information. They can listen to campaign promises, accept campaign materials and still make their final voting decisions based on their assessment of government performance.
This means that campaign mobilisation should increasingly be connected to tangible governance outcomes.
Where government projects are completed, communities should know about them. Where reforms are producing results, the results should be clearly communicated. Where policies are creating difficulties, the government should acknowledge those concerns and demonstrate what is being done to address them.
Sustainable development is ultimately a stronger political message than temporary electoral inducements.
A recent media report estimated that APC and Accord together deployed more than ₦100 billion during the 2026 Osun governorship election. That figure should be treated as a media estimate rather than an independently audited expenditure statement, and the parties concerned should have the opportunity to respond.
Nevertheless, the report provides an opportunity for a broader conversation about political expenditure in Nigeria.
The question should not only be how much is spent during elections, but what could be achieved if a portion of the resources available for political mobilisation were directed earlier towards sustainable community development.
Investments in primary healthcare, rural roads, agricultural processing, youth enterprise, clean water, vocational training, markets and environmental improvement can create lasting relationships between governments and communities.
When citizens experience meaningful development, political communication becomes more credible because people can connect government promises with their everyday realities.
This should be an important consideration for the APC as it prepares for 2027.
The President’s political movement should also continue to expand beyond established political circles. If the “City Boy” movement is to become a truly national political project, it should provide opportunities for people with competence, integrity, innovative ideas and genuine connections with communities across Nigeria.
This does not mean abandoning the political structures that have helped the party. It means strengthening them.
The APC already possesses a large political network. The next step should be to make that network more responsive, data-driven, professionally coordinated and connected to ordinary Nigerians.
There is also a need for stronger independent feedback mechanisms. Community engagement centres, grassroots consultation, public opinion monitoring and transparent channels for receiving citizens’ concerns could help the administration understand public sentiment more accurately.
The people around the President have an important responsibility in this regard. Their duty should not be limited to defending every government decision. They should also help the President understand where the administration needs to improve.
Constructive criticism should not be interpreted as opposition.
A government that receives only praise may find it difficult to identify problems early. A government that welcomes honest feedback has a better opportunity to correct mistakes before they become major political challenges.
For this reason, the APC’s campaign council should be viewed as more than an electoral structure. It can become a platform for bringing together political experience, professional competence, grassroots knowledge and innovative thinking.
Even if the published appointments remain unchanged, the operational structure can still be strengthened. Technocrats, researchers, communications professionals, data analysts, community organisers and other specialists can be integrated into the directorates and given meaningful responsibilities.
Campaign activities can be tied to measurable objectives. Public feedback can be systematically collected and analysed. Grassroots engagement can be monitored. Communication strategies can be evaluated based on evidence rather than assumptions.
Most importantly, the campaign should present the 2027 election as an opportunity to consolidate what has worked, correct what has not worked and communicate a credible vision for the next phase of national development.
President Tinubu deserves advisers and political associates who will tell him the truth, even when that truth is uncomfortable. The country also deserves a government that remains attentive to the concerns of ordinary Nigerians while pursuing its economic and development agenda.
My intervention is therefore offered in the spirit of support for the success of the administration and the stability of the country.
I believe President Tinubu has an opportunity to demonstrate that political experience can work together with professional competence and generational renewal. The APC can preserve the strengths of its existing political structure while making room for new voices and new methods.
The 2027 election should not simply be approached as another contest between political parties. It should be treated as an opportunity to demonstrate the value of effective governance, credible communication and genuine engagement with citizens.
My humble advice is straightforward: preserve the experience within the party, but make room for new people; protect governance from unnecessary campaign distractions; empower competent professionals; strengthen grassroots engagement; listen carefully to independent voices; and ensure that campaign promises remain connected to measurable development.
These steps will not only strengthen the APC’s electoral prospects. More importantly, they can strengthen the government’s relationship with the Nigerian people.
I do not claim to have all the answers, but my political assessments are informed by conversations and observations from the grassroots. Those who genuinely want President Tinubu and Nigeria to succeed must be willing to contribute ideas, identify areas of concern and offer solutions where possible.
The political environment is changing, and the electorate is changing with it. The APC therefore has an opportunity, well ahead of 2027, to refine its strategy and demonstrate that political experience, fresh thinking and effective governance can work together.
This is not a call to abandon the old completely. It is a call to improve upon it.
The best political structure is one that learns from experience, embraces competence, listens to the people and adapts to changing realities.
That is the kind of approach that can give the Tinubu administration the strongest possible foundation as it seeks the confidence of Nigerians in 2027.
Ire o.
