By our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) ahead of the 2027 general election, urging members to demonstrate unity, discipline and commitment while promoting his administration’s policies to Nigerians.
Tinubu inaugurated the council on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, declaring that the party was prepared to renew its covenant with Nigerians as it seeks a second term in office.
The President charged members of the council to work towards securing electoral victories across the country, stressing that their political assignment would remain incomplete until they delivered votes in their respective wards and constituencies.
“I thank all of you for the last election, but 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,” he said.
Tinubu, however, acknowledged the need to balance political mobilisation with governance, following advice from the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, against allowing campaign activities to distract him from his presidential responsibilities.
The President assured Nigerians that he would continue to engage directly with them while the campaign council coordinated activities across states and local government areas.
He also highlighted the need to sustain investor confidence, saying the government had financial obligations to meet and was working to attract investments that would benefit future generations.
Earlier, Vice President Kashim Shettima commended Tinubu’s commitment to democratic development, citing his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in 2007 under the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria.
Shettima also criticised Atiku for what he described as belittling the office of the President, insisting that the institution deserved respect regardless of political differences. He further accused Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Movement, of using statistics without sufficient context when comparing Nigeria with other countries.
The APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said the inauguration reflected the party’s determination to promote its achievements and policies ahead of the election.
Yilwatda identified the presence of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike at the event as evidence of broader political support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He urged campaign council members to communicate the administration’s policies clearly and explain how its reforms and investments could translate into improved living conditions for Nigerians.
The APC chairman also called for a peaceful, issue-based campaign focused on records, policies and competing visions for the country.
In his remarks, Uzodimma said Tinubu had demonstrated the courage to address longstanding economic challenges, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates.
He acknowledged that the reforms had caused hardship for some Nigerians but argued that the administration’s economic policies were beginning to produce positive results.
Uzodimma also cited economic growth figures, noting that Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.43 per cent, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier, and expressed confidence that the campaign would focus on issues and policy outcomes.
In separate goodwill messages, Adeleke, Soludo and Wike pledged support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Wike, who remains a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he supported Tinubu because of what he described as the President’s willingness to confront problems previous administrations had failed to address. He urged governors to work towards delivering their states for the President.
Adeleke drew cheers from attendees with his trademark dance moves during the ceremony.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, and elder statesman Tanko Yakassai also called for support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
The event formally set the stage for the APC’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with party leaders pledging to promote the administration’s record and seek renewed support from voters.
