2027: APC Denies Withdrawing Tinubu Campaign Council List Amid Controversy

The All Progressives Congress has rejected reports that it withdrew the list of members of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, describing the claims as unfounded rumours. Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, made the clarification on Tuesday morning in an interview with TheCable, dismissing speculation that President Bola Tinubu had ordered a review of the 223-member list. Morka stated that rumours are not news and that if there is any reason to update the list, it would be announced properly. His comments came amid reports that the presidency had been compelled to review the composition of the campaign council due to what sources described as “anomalies capable of embarrassing the campaign.”

The APC unveiled its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council on Saturday, August 22, 2026, with President Bola Tinubu named as chairman and Vice-President Kashim Shettima as vice-chairman. Other key appointments included Senator Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara Governor, as Director-General and Governor Hope Uzodimma, Imo State Governor and Progressive Governors Forum Chairman, as Secretary. The full list comprises 223 members spread across various directorates. However, the composition has generated significant controversy, particularly over the inclusion of serving public officials and individuals facing corruption allegations. Betta Edu, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation who was suspended by Tinubu in January 2024 over allegations of financial malfeasance, was named Director of Women Mobilisation. She was subsequently investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), though the outcome of the probe has not been made public.

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Similarly, Ngozi Olejeme, former Chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board, was appointed Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation for the South-South. She is facing an ongoing EFCC probe over an alleged N1 billion money-laundering offence. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), was named Deputy Director of Fundraising, with sources questioning the appropriateness of including a serving head of a revenue agency in a partisan campaign structure.

Several prominent APC figures were notably absent from the list, raising concerns among party stakeholders. Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, who served as spokesman and Director of Public Affairs for the 2023 campaign council, was omitted, as was Simon Lalong, former Plateau State Governor and Director-General of the 2023 APC Presidential Campaign Council. Other notable omissions include Benjamin Kalu (Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives), Nuhu Ribadu (National Security Adviser), and former Governors Yahaya Bello, Gbenga Daniel, and Ibikunle Amosun. Some sources described these omissions as “sheer errors,” while others attributed them to oversight or political calculations.

Party sources have revealed that the list suffers from three major defects that prompted calls for review: inclusion of individuals with alleged corruption cases, exclusion of experienced party figures who could add value to the campaign, and omissions through mere oversight in the compilation process. A source in the presidency confirmed to Daily Trust that the list was being reviewed due to concerns about the inclusion of “people who are supposed not to be there” and the exclusion of those “that would add value to the campaign.” However, sources indicated that the leadership positions – including the Director-General and Secretary – would remain intact, with adjustments likely limited to the membership composition.

Babafemi Ojudu, a chieftain of the APC, also criticised the composition of the campaign council, pointing out the presence of what he described as “former sinners” on the list. In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Ojudu observed that the list contained “saints and former sinners, the tried and the tired, reformers and those still awaiting reform.” He said that there are people whose names inspire confidence and others whose names inspire a quick check on one’s wallet, adding that a campaign seeking the confidence of Nigerians should not appear to be offering political sanctuary to every controversial figure who can command a convoy, finance a rally or mobilise a forest.

Reports indicate that the inauguration date for the campaign council has not been announced because there is a need to fine-tune the list of members. A source told Daily Trust that everything is being done in the Villa regarding the review, but noted that such adjustments are not unprecedented. For the 2023 elections, the first list of campaign council members was also recalled and fine-tuned before inauguration. Despite reports of a review, Morka has maintained that the party has not officially withdrawn the list. His clarification leaves the recently announced composition as the latest officially documented structure of the APC‘s 2027 presidential campaign, pending any formal amendment by the party.

“Close Your Mouth”: Amaechi, Sowore, Obi Clash Over Fuel Subsidy in Heated NBA Debate

The 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, turned into a fiery political battleground on Monday as three prominent political figures engaged in a heated exchange over fuel subsidy removal, governance records, and Nigeria’s political future ahead of the 2027 elections. The panel session, which was one of the major highlights of the conference themed “Beyond Limits,” brought together presidential hopefuls including Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), Rotimi Amaechi, Vice Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), who offered competing solutions to Nigeria’s worsening economic and governance challenges. What began as a policy debate quickly escalated into shouting matches, personal attacks, and sharp exchanges as the politicians traded barbs over their records in public office.

Omoyele Sowore, the AAC presidential candidate, opened the debate by asserting his long-standing opposition to fuel subsidy removal, accusing past and present leaders of shifting positions at the expense of ordinary Nigerians. “If there’s anyone who has been consistent about non-removal of fuel subsidy, it has been me. And it took Amaechi and his principal almost 10 years to catch up with me. They have now reversed their position on fuel subsidy,” Sowore declared. Sowore challenged the economic justification for the policy, arguing that the real beneficiaries of subsidy removal were political elites and state governors rather than the masses. “The question about subsidy is, who are you subsidising? You are subsidising the elite. You are subsidising the governors. The only people who are doing well since they removed subsidy are the governors of states,” he said. He also rejected the impression that subsidy removal was a new policy, recalling that previous administrations had removed or attempted to remove subsidies while promising Nigerians better economic conditions. “I was a student in 1989, they removed subsidy. In 1990, they removed subsidy. They said Nigeria will be better. We are in 2026, they are still removing subsidy,” Sowore said. Referencing an earlier comment by Amaechi, Sowore noted: “I love one thing that Amaechi said. He said, apart from Sowore and Adebayo, the rest of us have been in government and we have failed. They have no business coming back. You guys should be apologising to the Nigerian people.”

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A visibly frustrated Amaechi quickly interjected, cutting Sowore off mid-sentence to refute the characterization of his remarks. “Stop lying. Stop lying, Sowore. I said, judge us by our achievements,” Amaechi fired back. Unfazed by the interruption, Sowore turned his sights directly to Amaechi’s record as a former governor of Rivers State and former Minister of Transportation. “When it comes to subsidy, right? Transportation policy is important. We have a former governor of Rivers State here, Amaechi, who built a rail line that went nowhere. If that rail line was working, subsidy would have been working for the people of Rivers State,” Sowore argued. Responding, Amaechi defended his record as governor and as former Minister, highlighting his administration’s construction of roads, primary schools, and major rail projects like the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railways. The ADC vice-presidential candidate quipped: “Where are Rivers lawyers? Let them take Sowore around and show him what I did as a former Governor.” Amaechi asked lawyers from Lagos, Ogun, and Kaduna states to confirm if the railway systems were still working in their states, noting that the Lagos-Ibadan railway was operational during his tenure and questioning why it was not working under President Bola Tinubu. When Sowore interjected again, Amaechi lost his cool and declared: “Moreover, Sowore, when politicians are talking, close your mouth.”

Turning his criticism to Peter Obi, Sowore alleged that Obi had failed to subsidise education during his tenure as Anambra State governor. “Peter Obi did not subsidise education in his state. Lecturers and doctors went on strike for 13 months. You may like him as a person, but he did not perform as a governor. That is the truth,” Amaechi said. Amaechi also argued that transportation policy should form part of the conversation around fuel subsidy, and he defended his own record as Minister of Transportation, saying the Lagos-Ajaokuta railway was operational during his tenure. He also used the opportunity to issue a broader challenge to Nigerians, urging voters to judge politicians by competence rather than ethnic or sectional loyalties. “A coalition should be based on performance. And I speak to you, you should do a referendum. We have all served in government. Atiku has served in government, Peter Obi has served in government, I have served in government and others. Assess us by our last performance and choose,” he said. He warned that Nigeria would continue to struggle with underdevelopment if Nigerians continued to vote along ethnic lines without considering the past performance of candidates. “Don’t just go because you are from Ikwerre or you are from Omoku and choose your own. No! That’s why we are running down,” Amaechi said.

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Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), defended the necessity of removing fuel subsidy, maintaining that while he supports the policy, his administration would have executed it differently to directly benefit citizens. “I subscribe and I maintain that you need to remove subsidy. Mismanagement of the proceeds should not be the reason for not removing it,” Obi said. Obi argued that the problem was not the policy itself but the failure of government to properly utilise the resources saved from it. “What we should have done is that when we remove subsidy, we would have given the people alternative usage for the subsidy. What we have today is that that removal and the attendant resources being recovered are also being mismanaged and stolen,” he said. Citing reported savings of approximately N16 trillion from the subsidy removal, Obi noted that just five per cent of that amount—about N800 billion—could be used to build primary healthcare centres across all 8,809 wards in Nigeria. He also suggested that the savings could have been added to Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund to generate long-term returns. “If they had saved the money and decided to do like any other country, we would have had $10 billion added to the sovereign wealth fund, which, if you add it today, we will be getting about $10 billion every month, which we can use for a purpose,” Obi said. Obi also emphasised that a Nigerian economy driven by production rather than consumption would work wonders for the country. “Nigeria is poor today because it is not a productive country. Some of us might not be aware that two years ago, Ukraine, which is at war, gave us grain. We are hungry today because Nigeria is not a productive country,” he said.

The drama took an interesting turn when a young lawyer at the conference challenged Amaechi’s reported claim that Sowore could not win a presidential election, arguing that opposition politicians should unite and suggesting that Peter Obi remains the most popular among the contenders. The intervention highlighted the growing appetite among Nigerians for a coalition of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections. The NBA conference thus provided one of the earliest major platforms for 2027 presidential hopefuls to publicly test their competing positions on governance, economic management, and accountability, setting the stage for a potentially intense political contest ahead of the general elections. The clash over fuel subsidy—a policy that has significantly impacted the cost of living for millions of Nigerians—remains a central dividing line among the candidates, with Sowore opposing it outright, Obi supporting it but criticising its implementation, and Amaechi arguing for accountability and performance-based governance.