Ahead of the August 19, 2026 commencement of political campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, some of the leading political parties in the polls — the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — have intensified preparations to mobilise voters and roll out their campaign structures nationwide.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had published the particulars and credentials of the 19 presidential candidates and their running mates, paving the way for political parties to commence the next phase of the electoral contest.

President Bola Tinubu is seeking re-election on the platform of the APC with Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is contesting under the ADC alongside former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the NDC, with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate.

With the official campaign window now only days away, the three major parties in the 2027 elections are focusing their preparations on grassroots mobilisation, campaign structures, voter engagement and the coordination of their nationwide political machinery.

For the ruling APC, preparations are focused on consolidating its existing structures and mobilising support for the renewal of the Tinubu-Shettima mandate.

The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the APC was prepared for the campaign, stressing that the ruling party understood the greater responsibility placed on it.

“Why no party is over prepared, but our party is not under prepared. As the party in power, we know the responsibility is more on our head than it is on other parties that are jostling for positions with us,” he said.

Ibrahim said the party was working to retain Nigerians’ confidence and secure the re-election of Tinubu on the platform of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The APC has also activated its grassroots mobilisation machinery ahead of the campaign season.

The Concerned National APC Stakeholders Forum recently inaugurated state coordinators for the Tinubu/Shettima Grassroots Canvassers, with the objective of building support from polling units, wards and local government areas.

The convener, Dr Dominic Alancha, said the organisation would take the party’s message beyond Abuja and state capitals to communities across the country.

He urged the coordinators to engage voters through persuasion rather than intimidation, saying the campaign must focus on the administration’s policies, reforms and achievements while acknowledging the challenges confronting Nigerians.

“We must listen to their concerns. Where Nigerians are angry, we must listen. Where they are hopeful, we must strengthen that hope. Where they do not understand government policies, we must explain them,” Alancha said.

He described the proposed campaign as one of “ideas, engagement, persuasion and performance.”

For the ADC, preparations are centred on building a nationwide grassroots structure around Atiku and Amaechi while sustaining efforts to bring opposition forces together.

The party has undertaken membership registration and revalidation across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and has been strengthening its structures at state and local government levels.

It has also been developing grassroots-oriented campaign structures, with emphasis on young voters, women, first-time voters and community leaders.

ADC officials said the party’s voter education efforts were also intended to translate political support into informed participation at polling units.

ADC’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, had said the ADC was not preparing merely to participate in 2027, but preparing to win.

The ADC is also continuing discussions with other opposition parties and political groups as part of efforts to build a broader platform against the APC.

For the NDC, which is fielding Obi, the immediate focus is on internal cohesion, grassroots mobilisation and building alliances with political forces that share its vision.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the NDC was intensifying efforts to achieve “unity of purpose and oneness” within its ranks while expanding its support base across the country.

“We are doing our best to ensure unity of purpose and oneness so that we can focus on the task ahead,” Director said.

He said the party remained willing to work with other political parties and groups that shared its vision ahead of the election.

“As an opposition party, we are willing to work with anyone who shares in our vision,” he said.

The NDC has also continued to engage political actors and groups as part of its preparations, including efforts to reconnect with former leaders and members of the old Alliance for Democracy.

The party is expected to use the campaign period to deepen its grassroots engagement and present Obi’s candidacy to voters across the country.

National Director of Publicity of the PDP, Chinwe Nnorom, said organisational and mobilisation issues are ready for the party, adding that it was waiting for the approval of relevant organs like its the National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee.

According to National Director of Publicity of the PDP, “It is no gainsaying that the PDP has recently pulled through very ferocious legal battles and fortunately, it’s on the INEC Ballots for all the Forthcoming General Elections having successfully uploaded its candidates at all levels of the elections.

“However, the Issues of readiness, organization, resources and grassroots mobilization for the Electioneering are areas very familiar to the PDP; and in due time, the Leadership of the Party – NWC/NEC will direct procedures accordingly.”

Equally, a faction of the PDP, which had announced former President Goodluck Jonathan, said that it was aggressively preparing.

National Publicity Secretary of the Tanimu Turaki faction of the PDP, Ini Emeobong, said the ADC was “aggressively preparing” for the campaign.

“We are aggressively preparing for the campaigns. All modalities are in place to ensure that our presidential candidate will be elaborately marketed to the Nigerian people,” he said.

Emeobong said the party would combine different approaches in propagating its “Rescue Nigeria” message to voters, adding that its campaign timetable would soon be made public.

Ken Asogwa, the National Publicity Secretary, Labour Party, said, ‘In terms of nationwide structure needed to win a presidential election, we have consistently maintained that the Party is the most structured political party in Nigeria Saturday. The Labour Party is unique among all political parties because the NLC and the TUC are its institutional members. By implication, every serving and retired civil servant across the country is technically a member of the Party. We never harnessed this potential in the past, but the present leadership of the Party has succeeded in welding the party and labour unions together.

“This gives the Labour Party an unrivalled grassroots presence. There is hardly any polling unit, ward, local government or community in Nigeria that does not have a serving or retired civil servant. No other political party, including the APC, can genuinely boast of such an extensive nationwide structure.”

He said the party hopes to anchor on this strength for grassroots mobilisation and protection of its votes during the elections. And, gladly, the labour unions are more than willing to undertake this task during the polls.

”On the issue of alliances, the Labour Party welcomes all suggestions about alliances and collaborative efforts amongst the opposition parties, but wishes to urge all political parties seeking such alliances to collapse their structures into the Labour Party.

“Rather than creating new platforms or fragmented alliances, the national interest would be better served by strengthening the Labour Party that already possesses a tested nationwide network and institutional foundation.

“Also in terms of quality of candidates for the coming presidential election, the Labour Party has a credible presidential candidate who is young, well-educated and possesses the capacity to provide the visionary leadership Nigeria seeks at this time.

“On the issue of resources available to the party to undertake such a huge project, the Party notes that the nature of our Presidential system is such that so much resources is required to prosecute a successful presidential campaign.

He said the Labour Party has devised a campaign strategy that is not capital intensive.

Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale and Sunday Aborisade (Arise News)

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