APC’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council restricts ministers, political appointees and campaign officials to home-state rallies as grassroots mobilisation intensifies
APC Restricts Ministers to Home-State Rallies for 2027 Campaign
By Lukman OMIKUNLE
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has imposed fresh restrictions on ministers, political appointees and members of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, directing them to attend campaign rallies only in their respective home states as the party intensifies preparations for the presidential election.
The directive, contained in a circular dated November 3, 2026, and signed by the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, is aimed at strengthening grassroots mobilisation, improving campaign coordination and ensuring that party officials concentrate on building support within their immediate political territories.
The circular, addressed to all directors and heads of directorates, outlined new guidelines for participation in the party’s presidential campaign activities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Under the arrangement, ministers and other political appointees serving in President Bola Tinubu’s administration are required to restrict their attendance to rallies organised in their respective home states.
The circular stated, “They are required to attend only the rallies held in their home states.”
It further directed the affected officials to intensify mobilisation at the grassroots, particularly across their polling units, wards and Local Government Areas (LGAs), in accordance with the campaign’s adopted pyramid structure.
“They are required to focus on grassroots mobilisation across their polling units, wards and Local Government Areas (LGAs), in line with the pyramid concept of the campaign plan,” the document stated.
Members of the Presidential Campaign Council were also placed under the same restriction, with instructions to attend only rallies organised in their home states while concentrating on implementing their respective directorates’ approved work plans.
The council said the guidelines were necessary to ensure that campaign responsibilities were properly coordinated and that officials deployed their resources towards activities capable of strengthening the party’s grassroots structures.
Members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) were similarly directed to concentrate on party responsibilities and mobilisation within their respective states and geopolitical zones.
However, the circular exempted the National Chairman, National Secretary, National Women’s Leader, National Youth Leader and National Organising Secretary from the home-state restriction imposed on other NWC members.
Other members of the committee are expected to attend rallies in their respective home states while strengthening the party’s political structures within their designated territories.
The campaign council also announced plans to give greater prominence to APC candidates contesting legislative positions during the rallies.
According to the circular, candidates seeking election into state Houses of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate are to receive increased visibility at campaign events as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s electoral presence across different levels of government.
Explaining the rationale behind the guidelines, Yari said the rallies were designed to energise the party’s grassroots support base and communicate President Tinubu’s achievements to the electorate.
“Campaign rallies are intended to energise the base of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the states and zones, and to communicate the achievements of His Excellency, the President, to the electorate,” the circular stated.
He added, “Participation should therefore be organised in a manner that advances these objectives.”
The council also directed directorates without specific responsibilities at campaign rallies to concentrate on implementing their approved work plans and budgets rather than engaging in activities outside their assigned mandates.
Directors were subsequently instructed to communicate the contents of the circular to all officers under their respective directorates and ensure strict compliance with the new arrangements.
The directive comes as the ruling party intensifies its nationwide mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with President Tinubu seeking another presidential mandate.
The latest guidelines signal a more decentralised campaign structure, with greater emphasis on state-level political mobilisation, ward coordination and direct engagement with voters rather than relying heavily on nationwide campaign entourages.
