President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, calling on party leaders and council members to demonstrate unity, discipline and commitment to secure victory at the polls.
Tinubu inaugurated the council on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, expressing confidence in the party’s readiness to renew its mandate and continue its political engagement with Nigerians ahead of the next general election.
The President urged members of the council to intensify grassroots mobilisation across the country while ensuring that the administration’s governance priorities remain on track.
Addressing party leaders and supporters at the ceremony, Tinubu said the APC must approach the next election with a shared sense of purpose, stressing that the party’s previous electoral successes would only count if members delivered results in the 2027 polls.
“As I stand before you with a heart full of gratitude and spirit full of resolve, it is my honour to inaugurate the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress for the 2027 General Election,” the President said.
He thanked party members for their efforts during the previous election but warned that the task remained incomplete until the party secured the required votes across electoral wards and other levels of the political structure.
“No one gets credit for an incomplete assignment until you deliver the next election, until you deliver your electoral wards, until you deliver the votes,” Tinubu added.
Tinubu Vows to Maintain Focus on Governance
The President acknowledged the advice of Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, who cautioned him against allowing the demands of electioneering to distract him from his responsibilities as head of state.
Tinubu described the advice as timely, assuring Nigerians that his administration would continue working to fulfil its promises even as the APC intensifies political mobilisation ahead of 2027.
He said he would continue engaging directly with Nigerians while campaign council members coordinate activities across states and local government areas.
“However, I will still make time to speak directly with Nigerians even as you lead the campaign in the states and local government areas,” the President said.
Tinubu also highlighted the importance of attracting investors and meeting the country’s financial obligations, noting that the government must continue to pursue policies aimed at securing a better economic future for the next generation.
“We have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait. We want those investors to come in and invest for the future of our children,” he said.
The President charged campaign council members to conduct their activities responsibly, engage voters constructively and communicate the administration’s policies and programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He also commended Vice President Kashim Shettima for his speech at the event, praising his oratory and commitment to national development.
Shettima Defends Tinubu, Criticises Opposition Figures
Vice President Kashim Shettima commended Tinubu for what he described as courage and conviction in advancing democracy in Nigeria.
Shettima cited the President’s support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2007, when Tinubu backed his bid to contest the presidency on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
The Vice President also criticised Atiku for what he described as a tendency to belittle the office of the President, insisting that the position deserved respect regardless of political disagreements.
“You can call him Bola, if you like, call him Adekunle, but he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Shettima said.
He also criticised National Democratic Movement presidential candidate Peter Obi over what he described as misleading statistics and comparisons between Nigeria and other countries without sufficient context.
APC Chairman Tasks Council With Nationwide Mobilisation
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said the inauguration reflected the party’s collective determination to pursue its vision for Nigeria.
He urged campaign council members to communicate Tinubu’s policies and achievements accurately, engage Nigerians confidently and explain how the administration’s reforms could translate into tangible improvements in citizens’ daily lives.
Yilwatda expressed confidence that the party had made significant progress over the past three years, while emphasising the need for a credible campaign that addresses the expectations of Nigerians.
He said the APC would mobilise voters from ward to ward, local government to local government and state to state to secure Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The party chairman also called for an election campaign centred on ideas, records and policies, urging political actors to conduct their activities peacefully and respectfully.
According to him, the effectiveness of the campaign would depend on strong national leadership, committed state chapters, organised local government structures and sustained grassroots engagement.
Uzodimma Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
Governor Hope Uzodimma, who also serves as secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council, assured Tinubu that governors and other party leaders would work to communicate the administration’s policies to Nigerians.
He said the campaign would be issue-based, arguing that the President’s willingness to confront longstanding economic challenges would help the council explain the administration’s record.
Uzodimma highlighted the removal of petrol subsidies and the reform of Nigeria’s multiple exchange-rate system as major decisions taken by Tinubu after assuming office.
He argued that previous administrations had recognised the problems associated with the arrangements but had been reluctant to address them because of the political and economic consequences.
“The first thing we are proud of is the courage you brought to the problems you inherited when you took office,” Uzodimma said.
He acknowledged that the reforms had caused hardship and inconvenience for Nigerians but maintained that recent economic indicators suggested the country was moving in the right direction.
The governor also praised the administration’s tax reforms and pointed to economic growth of 4.43%, compared with 4.23% a year earlier, as evidence of improving economic performance.
Wike, Adeleke and Soludo Express Support for Tinubu
The inauguration attracted political figures from outside the APC, including Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Their participation was presented by APC leaders as a sign of support for Tinubu’s leadership and the administration’s policies ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
During his goodwill message, Wike said he supported Tinubu because the President had demonstrated the political will to address challenges that previous administrations had identified but failed to tackle.
“Previous administrations identified our problems, but did not tackle them. You have not shied away from tackling such problems. You tackled them from Day One,” Wike said.
The FCT minister also challenged governors to deliver their respective states for Tinubu in the next presidential election.
Governor Adeleke attracted attention at the event with his trademark dance moves, drawing cheers from attendees at the crowded hall.
Governor Soludo also joined the other political leaders in expressing support for the President’s re-election bid.
Lagos Projects and Tinubu’s Political Legacy
Tinubu also praised Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, for their contributions to the achievements recorded during his tenure as governor of Lagos State.
He specifically referred to efforts to address the challenges posed by Atlantic Ocean encroachment and highlighted the development of Atlantic City as an example of the administration’s ambition and willingness to undertake major projects.
“There is a limit, but there is no limit in daring. We dared the Atlantic Ocean, and the result is the Atlantic City in Lagos,” Tinubu said.
The remarks formed part of his broader message urging party members to promote the administration’s record and communicate its development priorities to voters.
APC Leaders Call for Support Ahead of 2027
Other speakers at the inauguration included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs Ibrahim Kabiru Masari and elder statesman Tanko Yakassai.
They called on Nigerians to support Tinubu for a second term, arguing that continued implementation of the administration’s reform agenda would help consolidate the gains recorded so far.
The inauguration marks a major step in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with the party leadership emphasising unity, nationwide mobilisation and the need to communicate its policy agenda effectively.
Tinubu’s message to the council was that political mobilisation must go hand in hand with governance, as the administration seeks to defend its record and persuade Nigerians to renew its mandate in the next general election.