The composition of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election has continued to attract criticism, with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso questioning the involvement of two senior government officials and former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye threatening to challenge one of the appointments in court.
The APC recently released a 108-member campaign council for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign. Tinubu was named chairman of the council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda were appointed as first and second vice chairmen respectively.
Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was appointed Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was named Secretary of the council.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun was given responsibility for fundraising, with the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, appointed as Deputy Director of Fundraising. The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Taminu Yakubu, was also named Treasurer.
The involvement of Adedeji and Yakubu has raised questions because both officials head government institutions responsible for key areas of public finance.
Melaye, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, said Adedeji’s appointment could create a conflict between his responsibilities as head of the country’s revenue service and his involvement in a partisan political campaign.
The former senator said he intended to approach the court over the matter. He argued that serving public officials are required to observe rules on political activities, public service conduct and neutrality in the discharge of their official duties.
Melaye questioned how the head of the agency responsible for collecting government revenue could simultaneously occupy a senior position in a political campaign council responsible for raising funds for a presidential candidate.
He said the issue required legal clarification and indicated that he would seek judicial interpretation of whether Adedeji’s role in the campaign council was compatible with his position in government.
Adedeji currently heads the Nigeria Revenue Service, which replaced the former Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Melaye also raised objections to the decision to make President Tinubu the chairman of his own campaign council. He questioned the political arrangement and criticised the size and structure of the council.
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The former senator has remained opposed to Tinubu’s bid for another term and said he would continue to challenge the administration and its campaign plans ahead of the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso also criticised the inclusion of Adedeji and Yakubu in the campaign structure. The former Kano governor, who is now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said the positions occupied by the two officials required public confidence and institutional neutrality.
He questioned whether senior officials responsible for managing public revenue and the nation’s finances should simultaneously hold high-ranking positions in a partisan campaign organisation.
According to Kwankwaso, the issue goes beyond the individuals involved because the agencies they lead have responsibilities that affect the entire country.
He argued that the heads of institutions responsible for public revenue and national budgeting should be seen as operating independently of partisan political interests.
Kwankwaso also expressed concern about the wider political and economic situation ahead of the 2027 election. He pointed to hardship, unemployment, insecurity and difficulties affecting public services as issues that should form part of the national debate.
The former Kano governor further called on Yari to reconsider his decision to lead the APC campaign council.
He argued that Yari, having previously governed Zamfara State, was familiar with the security and economic problems affecting the North-West and other parts of the country.
Kwankwaso questioned whether Yari should lead a campaign aimed at securing another term for the Tinubu administration when many Nigerians, particularly in the North-West, continue to face economic and security challenges.
The criticism adds another layer to the growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition figures already using the composition of the APC campaign council to question the administration’s political strategy.
The APC, meanwhile, is expected to use the newly constituted council to coordinate its nationwide campaign and mobilise support for Tinubu’s second-term bid. The structure brings together senior party officials, serving governors, government officials and other political figures as the ruling party prepares for what is expected to be a closely contested election.
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