2027: Why APC opted for ‘Rainbow campaign council’

By Hussein Yahaya (Abuja), Sani Ibrahim Paki (Kano) & Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin)

The revised list of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Presidential Campaign Council signals a strategic shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, with the ruling party seeking to build an all-inclusive “Rainbow Coalition” ahead of the general elections.

Beyond its role as an electioneering structure, the expanded council reflects the APC’s efforts to transcend traditional party boundaries, incorporate influential opposition figures and consolidate support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The most striking feature of the revised list is the inclusion of prominent politicians from opposition parties.

Leading the initiative is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who has been named campaign coordinator for Tinubu in Rivers State and the FCT.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, a member of the Accord Party, has also been appointed campaign coordinator for his state.

Similarly, former Gombe State Governor and serving Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator Ibrahim Dankwambo has been named an adviser to the campaign council, alongside Obafemi George.

Political analysts said the appointments suggest that the APC is seeking to weaken opposition strongholds in the South-South, South-West and North-East by bringing influential politicians from rival parties into its campaign structure.

NRS boss, Adedeji retained, Betta Edu, Ngozi Olejeme missing

Despite the strategic ambition of the “Rainbow Coalition,” the composition of the revised council did not address the debate over the inclusion of some individuals such as Zacch Adedeji (Chairman, National Revenue Service – NRS).

Appointed as Deputy Director of Fundraising, Adedeji’s inclusion has raised questions regarding institutional neutrality.

Critics have argued that placing the head of the country’s tax authority in charge of campaign fundraising could create a potential conflict of interest between tax administration and partisan political activities.

A careful review of the new list shows that neither Dr Betta Edu nor Ngozi Olejeme is included.

Dr Betta Edu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, was initially named Director of Women Mobilisation. Edu’s inclusion comes after her suspension in January 2024 following an investigation into an alleged N585 million financial impropriety.

Though she was subsequently replaced by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the public absence of a final report from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) drew scrutiny from transparency advocacy groups.

Also, Ngozi Olejeme, a former board chairperson of the NSITF, was earlier appointed as South-South Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination, and Mobilisation. Her inclusion had similarly drawn questions due to past anti-graft inquiries concerning her tenure at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.

Irony in Wike, Adeleke’s appointments

The appointments of Wike and Adeleke have raised questions about the implications for their respective political parties, particularly as both parties have presidential ambitions of their own.

Although Wike and Adeleke have been associated with Tinubu’s re-election bid, their inclusion in the APC campaign council presents a political contradiction: the PDP and the Accord Party, to which they belong, also have presidential candidates.

Our correspondent reports that the PDP is fielding Prof Sandy Onor as its presidential candidate while the court has ordered the Accord Party to recognise Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim as its presidential candidate.

What this implies for the PDP on the surface is that while the party would be campaigning to win the presidential election, the leader of the party, Wike, by virtue of his appointment to the APC presidential campaign, would be directly working against the party without fear of any likely consequence.

Political analysts note that, under stricter party discipline, such an arrangement could have been regarded as anti-party activity.

But beyond the surface, many are of the view that the PDP only presented a presidential candidate who is loyal to Wike in order not to allow a vacancy for others to take the position and work against his interest.

It is not clear how the party would react, but it is not likely that the party would frown on it.

Despite remaining a PDP member, the former Rivers State governor has been one of Tinubu’s most consequential political allies outside the ruling party since the 2023 election.

Speaking on Tuesday, Wike said the president’s approach was to accommodate people outside the APC who were willing to contribute to his re-election.

He argued that people who wanted Tinubu to continue in office should be allowed to contribute regardless of their party affiliations.

His position, however, comes against the backdrop of disagreements within the ruling party over his proposed Rainbow Coalition and the extent to which non-APC politicians should influence the president’s re-election machinery.

Some APC state chapters have questioned the arrangement, insisting that those genuinely committed to Tinubu should formally join the party.

Adeleke’s appointment presents a similar dilemma.

The Osun governor, who secured re-election on the platform of the Accord Party, has been tasked with mobilising support for a presidential candidate whose party is a political rival of his own party.

After months of litigation, a court reportedly ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Olawepo-Hashim as the Accord Party’s presidential candidate. However, it was unclear at press time whether the commission had uploaded his name to its portal.

If the court’s order is implemented, Adeleke’s appointment could create further questions about the Accord Party’s presidential campaign, particularly given that he is the party’s only governor.

The arrangement could help the APC extend its reach beyond its established political network in Osun State. However, it also raises questions about how support for Tinubu at the presidential level will coexist with competition for governorship and legislative seats.

The APGA, meanwhile, has publicly endorsed Soludo’s inclusion in the campaign council.

The party said the arrangement reflected its position that Tinubu should be supported for president while APGA maintained its independent identity and pursued other elective offices.

The appointments suggest that the APC is seeking to build a broader electoral support base around Tinubu.

With opposition parties and political blocs yet to establish a united front against the ruling party, Tinubu’s camp appears to have an opportunity to cultivate alliances across party lines.

How revised council reshapes APC’s internal structure

The revised campaign council list also appears to have altered aspects of the ruling party’s internal command structure.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas have been elevated to deputy vice-chairmen, while Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq occupies another deputy vice-chairmanship position.

Senator Abdulaziz Yari remains director-general of the campaign council, with other senior party and government figures assigned responsibilities across its various directorates.

Former Kwara senator Gbemisola Saraki is among the new entrants. She has been listed as zonal secretary in the Contact and Mobilisation Directorate for the North-Central.

However, not all prominent figures appearing in the revised document are new entrants.

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, for instance, was previously listed as director of finance and treasury. He retains that responsibility while also serving as Delta State campaign coordinator.

Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola had earlier been assigned to South-West stakeholders’ mobilisation, while Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo was already part of the media and strategic communications structure.

Inclusion threatens multi-party democracy – Analyst

A professor of Political Science at North West University, Kano, Murtala Muhammad, has warned that the inclusion of opposition leaders in the APC Presidential Campaign Council poses grave risks to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.

He described the development as “unprecedented and disheartening.”

“This is the first time in Nigeria’s history that major opposition leaders are openly campaigning for a ruling party’s presidential candidate.

“It raises fundamental questions about ideological consistency, political accountability, and the future of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy,” he said.

The professor argued that opposition parties exist to scrutinise government policies and present credible alternatives, not to “negotiate access to power.”

He warned that the blurring of party identities risks deepening political cynicism and weakening democratic accountability.

“We are in a serious mess. Every serious political party should have a distinct manifesto and ideological orientation.

“When opposition leaders abandon this role, Nigeria’s political system becomes directionless,” Muhammad stressed.

He further questioned whether the cooperation was based on any transparent, written agreement serving national interest, saying the absence of such clarity suggests self-interest rather than patriotism.

Muhammad cautioned that the trend could slide Nigeria toward “political disorder and ideological backwardness,” adding that alliances without principles or clear commitments reduce multiparty politics to “a marketplace of elite interests rather than an instrument of democratic representation.”

‘Tinubu made right decision’

Professor Hassan Saliu, Interim President of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs (NSIA) and professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Ilorin, said no political party could confidently win the 2027 presidential election by relying solely on its members, warning that cross-party alliances could determine the outcome.

Saliu described the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s decision to include politicians from opposition parties and the broader coalition in its presidential campaign structure as a strategic move to expand its support base beyond its traditional constituencies.

“The environment, the electoral environment confronting us, does not suggest that one party alone and its members can win,” he said.

He added that candidates would need to reach voters outside their established political bases to improve their chances.

According to him, the arrangement reflects the realities of Nigerian politics, where party affiliation alone may no longer guarantee sufficient support to win a presidential election.