The inclusion of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke in President Bola Tinubu’s revised Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections has sparked controversy. Some All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Ebonyi State have questioned the decision, while political figures from other parties have defended it as a strategic move to broaden the President’s support base.
Key Highlights
- Some Ebonyi APC stakeholders have criticised the inclusion of Wike, Soludo and Adeleke in Tinubu’s campaign council.
- APC media aide Polycarp Obinna Alegu urged the President to reconsider the appointments.
- Alegu argued that loyal APC members should occupy campaign leadership positions in their respective states.
- APGA chieftain Godwin Iteshi defended the appointments, describing cross-party cooperation as a strategy to strengthen Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
- Supporters say sitting governors can contribute political influence and grassroots mobilisation.
- The controversy highlights tensions between rewarding party loyalty and building broader political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ebonyi APC Stakeholders Question Campaign Council Appointments
The reported inclusion of Wike, Soludo and Adeleke in the revised presidential campaign structure has generated mixed reactions among political stakeholders as parties and influential politicians begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A media aide to the Ebonyi State APC chairman, Polycarp Obinna Alegu, expressed reservations about the appointments in a Facebook post, urging Tinubu to reconsider the decision.
Alegu argued that the ruling party had enough experienced and committed members to coordinate its campaigns without assigning key responsibilities to politicians affiliated with other parties.
He maintained that opposition figures could support Tinubu’s re-election bid without necessarily being incorporated into the APC’s internal campaign structure.
“They can be in their party and be supporting President Tinubu’s re-election, but not to include them in the party’s campaign council where every secret of the family (party) will be known by them (strangers),” he wrote.
Alegu, who said he had been an APC member since 2015, warned that the arrangement could discourage longstanding party loyalists who had worked to build the party’s structures over the years.
Alegu Questions Wike, Soludo and Adeleke’s Roles
Alegu also questioned the reported decision to assign campaign coordination responsibilities to politicians who belong to different political parties.
Under the reported arrangements, Wike was named campaign coordinator for Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, while Soludo and Adeleke were assigned coordinating roles in Anambra and Osun states, respectively.
“Imagine Wike of PDP coordinating APC in Abuja and Rivers State. Imagine Soludo of APGA and Adeleke of Accord coordinating APC in Anambra and Osun when true members of the party, APC, from the respective states are there,” Alegu stated.
He argued that politicians who wanted to participate fully in the APC’s campaign structure should formally join the party.
Alegu further warned that the appointments could generate dissatisfaction among members who expect the party to prioritise its own candidates and loyalists when assigning campaign responsibilities.
Supporters Say Sitting Governors Can Strengthen Tinubu’s Campaign
However, not all reactions to the appointments have been critical.
Another Facebook user, Kingsley Nwanga, defended the decision, arguing that political campaign arrangements often reflect practical considerations and the need to mobilise support in different states.
Nwanga questioned why a sitting governor should be overlooked in favour of another individual when the objective is to secure support for the President in that state.
He argued that governors often have established political networks and grassroots structures that can be useful during election campaigns.
The argument reflects a broader view among supporters of cross-party cooperation that influential politicians can contribute to a presidential campaign even when they are not members of the ruling party.
APGA Chieftain Defends Inclusion of Opposition Figures
Political analyst and APGA chieftain in Ebonyi State, Comrade Godwin Iteshi, also commended Tinubu’s reported decision to include opposition figures in the campaign council.
Iteshi described the arrangement as a strategic approach that could expand the President’s political support base ahead of the 2027 elections.
He urged Tinubu to extend similar cooperation to other states, particularly in the South-East, where alliances across party lines could help mobilise additional support.
According to Iteshi, politicians from different parties working towards a common electoral objective should be viewed as an opportunity to build a broader coalition rather than as a threat to party loyalty.
Iteshi Cites Cross-Party Support in Ebonyi
Iteshi pointed to the activities of APGA candidates in Ebonyi North Senatorial District and the Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, whom he said were supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid and that of Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru despite belonging to another party.
He said the candidates were contributing their resources, political contacts and grassroots networks to mobilise support for the President and the governor ahead of the 2027 polls.
“Having them as members of the Presidential Campaign Council, to me, is not an anomaly. The interest is to deliver Mr President and Governor Nwifuru in Ebonyi State,” Iteshi said.
He maintained that political cooperation among like-minded politicians in the state should take precedence over differences in party affiliation.
“For we in APGA in Ebonyi State, the progressives are working together. Those against the decision to work together for the President and the governor are those who have been rejected by the masses,” he added.
Iteshi also claimed that some APGA and PDP members in Ebonyi State were supporting the re-election bids of Tinubu and Nwifuru.
Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Council Sparks Party Loyalty Debate
The conflicting reactions highlight a debate over whether campaign leadership positions should be reserved primarily for members of the ruling party or extended to influential politicians from other political organisations who are willing to support the President.
Critics argue that appointing opposition figures could weaken party loyalty and leave committed APC members feeling sidelined. Supporters, however, contend that cooperation across party lines could expand Tinubu’s political reach and strengthen mobilisation efforts in key states.
The controversy comes as political actors begin preparing their alliances and campaign structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The reported appointments have therefore placed renewed attention on the balance between internal party loyalty and broader political coalition-building as Tinubu’s supporters work to organise his re-election campaign.
