The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Ademola Adeleke, Governor of Osun State; and Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, in its presidential campaign council for the 2027 general election.

The appointments stand out because the three politicians belong to different political parties.

Wike is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adeleke won re-election in August under the Accord Party, and Soludo secured a second term in November 2025 on the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) platform.

Under the new arrangement, Wike will coordinate the APC’s presidential campaign in Rivers State and the FCT, while Soludo will oversee campaign activities in Anambra State and Adeleke will coordinate the campaign in Osun State.

Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, was appointed Deputy National Coordinator I for Stakeholders’ Mobilisation in the South-west.

President Bola Tinubu is expected to inaugurate the expanded list at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

Tinubu, Shettima to lead campaign council

Mr Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate, will serve as chairman of the campaign council, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima will be the vice-chairman. Nentawe Yilwatda, the party’s national chairman, was named vice-chairman II.

Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, was appointed secretary of the council, with Surajudeen Basiru as deputy secretary and Hadiza Usman as assistant secretary.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara State, were named deputy vice-chairmen I, II and III, respectively.

Mai Buni, Governor of Yobe State, will serve as Deputy Director-General I for the North, while Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President, was appointed Deputy Director-General II for the region.

Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo North, was named Deputy Director-General for Mobilisation.

Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Leader, and Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, were appointed Deputy Director-Generals I and II for the South, respectively.

Governors appointed state campaign coordinators

A major feature of the expanded list is the appointment of all 32 APC governors as coordinators of the presidential campaign in their respective states.

However, the party also named candidates to coordinate its campaign in states where it does not control the governorship.

Sharafadeen Alli, the APC’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, was appointed campaign coordinator for the state. Mohammed Abubakar, the party’s governorship candidate in Bauchi State, was named coordinator for Bauchi, while Chijioke Chukwu, its flagbearer in Abia State, will coordinate the campaign in Abia.

The party also appointed 14 advisers to the council. They include Bisi Akande, former governor of Osun State; Segun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Florence Ita-Giwa, former senator representing Cross River South; Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun State; and Iyiola Omisore, former APC national secretary.

Wale Edun, former Coordinating Minister of the Economy, was also named among the advisers.

Presidency says campaign council list remains valid

The expanded list follows an earlier controversy over the composition of the APC’s presidential campaign council after the party released an earlier list in August.

The Presidency later clarified that the initial list had not been withdrawn, although adjustments would be made to the campaign structure.

Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to Mr Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, clarified during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily in August.

Mr Dare said the list remained valid because the campaign structure was still being completed, with several subcommittees yet to be constituted.

The initial list, released on 22 August, named Abdulaziz Yari, former Governor of Zamfara State, as Director-General of the campaign council. Mr Akpabio, Mr Abbas and Mr Buni were appointed deputy director-generals.

The expanded list subsequently adjusted several positions and introduced additional appointments across the party’s national leadership, state structures and mobilisation teams.

The council is expected to coordinate the APC’s campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general election, including mobilisation, stakeholder engagement and efforts to secure support for Mr Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State and All Progressives Congress Lagos governorship flag bearer, Obafemi Hamzat has assured Lagosians that his administration will be an inclusive government.

Obafemi said he would continue to partner with stakeholders in the creative industry by strengthening skills development, expanding training opportunities, and providing the necessary infrastructure to support the growth of the sector.

He spoke at the Official Commissioning and Grand Opening of Euphoria360 Hub, put in place by one of the Thespians, Femi Adebayo, held at Oregun, Lagos suburb.

Hamzat said, “This is a space where ideas can take shape, and young creatives can find the tools and opportunities to build meaningful careers in the creative industry. I am encouraged by its focus on production, post-production, distribution and training.

“As a government, we will continue to support initiatives that create opportunities for our people and strengthen Lagos as a home for talent and innovation.”

Hamzat said that the state government is determined to create a sustainable pipeline of skilled creative professionals who could compete and earn global respect.

He said Lagos has no shortage of talent, adding that the state needs to provide the right structures and opportunities to harness it.

Hamzat said, “The state is already investing in creative infrastructure, which includes the development of theatres in Ikorodu, Badagry, among other divisions.

“Besides, the government is exploring further opportunities to expand training in areas such as filmmaking, acting, photography and other creative disciplines, and training up to one million Lagosians across various fields.”

The deputy governor said the state should move beyond training young people to creating a sustainable pipeline of globally competitive talent and linking skills development directly to employment opportunities.

He said the objective of the government is to create an enabling environment where creative talents can not only showcase Nigerian culture to the world but also earn commensurate economic value from their works.

Alluding to the global influence of Nigerian films and storytelling, Hamzat said Nigerian productions have become a major means of projecting the country’s identity and culture across Africa and beyond.

He added: “I want to challenge you, our elders and stakeholders in the creative industry, to identify the major barriers limiting growth and work with the government to develop practical solutions, particularly in areas such as intellectual property, contracts, and skills development.”

The deputy governor congratulated the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Euphoria 360, Adebayo, on the establishment of the Mega Audio Visual Project, describing the initiative as an important contribution to the growth of the creative ecosystem in Lagos.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Dr. Sunday Dare, said the Nigerian entertainment industry is a powerful force that has significantly enhanced Nigeria’s visibility and global influence.

He said the government needs to support and strengthen the creative sector, noting that the industry generates a huge sum of money and has the capacity to engage and create job opportunities for a large number of young people.

Adebayo said the vision behind the hub is to create a one-stop hub for the entertainment industry where producers, filmmakers, creators, film enthusiasts, and event planners can access the quality facilities and services they need to bring their projects to life.

He said: “Here, everything required to produce and deliver world-class projects is brought together under one roof,” adding that the initiative will become a landmark destination for creativity, collaboration, and excellence in the entertainment industry.”

Adebayo noted that the hub brings together key players across the entertainment value chain while offering access to modern facilities and professional services needed to develop and deliver world-class productions.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has admitted working with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, saying he has no regrets about the decision.

Wike said the alliance was aimed at preventing former Governor Godwin Obaseki from producing his successor, despite his membership of the PDP and the credentials of the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

He spoke on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform associated with his efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

“Let me say this for people to know. A lot of people deny obvious facts. In the last election that took place in Edo State, the victory was as a result of the coalition between the legacy of PDP and the APC.

“We had to work together to make sure that the former governor, Governor Obaseki, did not produce his successor. And that is the truth. I was behind it, and I don’t have any regrets about it,” he said.

The APC’s Monday Okpebholo won the September 21, 2024 governorship election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes. Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata came third with 22,763 votes, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Wike said his opposition to Ighodalo was not because he considered him unqualified, but because he viewed the election as an opportunity to prevent Obaseki from retaining political influence through his successor.

He described Ighodalo as a good candidate and recalled that he visited his house several times to seek his support.

“He came to my house more than three times. I said, listen, you’re a good candidate. But for this election, I’m sorry.

“This election is between us and the man who is bringing you, Governor Obaseki, an ingrate person, ungrateful person. So returning you is like bringing him back. So I’m sorry. You have to fail. And he failed,” he said.

Wike maintained that political coalitions were not new in Nigeria, arguing that alliances between politicians from different parties could determine electoral outcomes.

“So when people say that nothing like coalition, they tell lies. The truth of the matter is that it has been there depending on how it is worked out.

“So the governor today, Senator Okpebholo, we know sincerely that it was that coalition. Senator Adams Oshiomhole can also attest that it was that coalition that made us to defeat the PDP, even though I’m a member of PDP. But for that purpose, I said I would not support the incumbent governor to produce a successor,” he said.

Wike’s remarks come amid debate over the Rainbow Coalition, which he has promoted as a platform for mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election while allowing politicians to retain their membership of other parties.

The minister has maintained that the coalition is focused on the presidential election and is separate from the APC.

Some APC governors and party officials, however, have opposed the arrangement, arguing that political alliances outside the party’s structure could undermine its candidates in the 2027 elections.

Wike remains a member of the PDP while serving in the APC-led Federal Government as FCT minister.

His support for Tinubu has repeatedly placed him at odds with some members of his party, particularly over the opposition’s political direction ahead of the next general election.

At the Monday meeting, Wike also declared himself coordinator of Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT and Rivers State.

PDP and APC stakeholders at the event agreed to work together for Tinubu’s second term and to back APC candidates for the FCT’s senatorial and House of Representatives seats.