President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election, declaring that the party is united and ready to renew its covenant with Nigerians.
Tinubu inaugurated the council on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, where he urged members and party leaders to demonstrate unity, discipline and commitment while mobilising support for his re-election.
He, however, cautioned party members against considering their previous electoral successes sufficient, stressing that they must deliver votes in their respective wards and constituencies in the forthcoming election.
“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,” the President said.
Tinubu also acknowledged the advice of the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who urged him not to allow campaign activities to distract him from his governance responsibilities.
The President said he would continue to engage Nigerians directly while the campaign council coordinated mobilisation across states and local government areas.
“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.
He charged campaign council members to conduct their activities responsibly, engage Nigerians constructively and communicate the administration’s policies and programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, in his remarks, commended Tinubu’s courage and commitment to democratic development, recalling his support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in 2007 on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria.
Shettima also defended the dignity of the presidential office, saying political disagreements should not diminish respect for the institution.
“You can call him Bola, if you like, call him Adekunle, but he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
He also criticised National Democratic Movement presidential candidate Peter Obi over what he described as the use of misleading statistics and comparisons between Nigeria and other countries without adequate context.
Earlier, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the inauguration reflected the party’s determination to build a better Nigeria.
Yilwatda cited the presence of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party, as evidence of support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
He urged the campaign council to communicate the administration’s achievements accurately and confidently, while taking its message to voters across the country.
The APC chairman said the campaign would focus on the government’s record, an honest assessment of existing challenges and a credible vision for the country’s future.
He also called for a peaceful election centred on ideas, policies and performance.
Uzodimma, who is also secretary of the presidential campaign council, assured Tinubu that the governors and other party leaders would deliver the administration’s message to Nigerians through an issue-based campaign.
He praised the President for removing the petrol subsidy and reforming the foreign exchange system, arguing that previous administrations had avoided tackling the challenges because of their potential political 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 the country was moving in the right direction.
The governor also praised the administration’s tax reforms and said the economy had recorded growth, citing an increase in the growth rate to 4.43 per cent from 4.23 per cent a year earlier.
In their goodwill messages, Adeleke, Soludo and Wike pledged support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Wike said he supported the President because of what he described as his bold leadership and willingness to address longstanding national challenges.
“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,” he said.
The FCT minister also challenged governors to ensure that their states delivered votes for Tinubu in the election.
Adeleke drew cheers from attendees with his trademark dance moves during the event.
Other speakers, including 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 Yakasai, also urged Nigerians to support Tinubu for a second term to consolidate his administration’s reform agenda.
The inauguration marks a major step in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with the party leadership pledging nationwide mobilisation and a campaign focused on the administration’s policies and achievements.
