As political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, October 14.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will preside over the high-profile event in his capacity as Chairman of the Council, formally activating the ruling party’s nationwide campaign structure. Vice President Kashim Shettima serves as Deputy Chairman.

Preparations are nearing completion at the Conference Centre of the State House, Abuja, with invitations already dispatched to designated council leadership, party executives, and candidates across all elective tiers.

A senior party source familiar with the planning confirmed that the ceremony will bring together candidates from the presidential level down to state assembly levels.

“All our candidates, from the President to House of Representatives candidates, are expected to be present. It is a full council inauguration. Other members of the Presidential Campaign Council will equally attend and receive their appointment letters after the Villa ceremony,” the source disclosed.

Beyond the swearing-in ceremony, party insiders confirmed that Wednesday’s gathering will serve as a strategic summit where the party will unveil its official campaign timetable, message architecture, and schedule for zonal rallies.

The inauguration coincides with the home stretch of the campaign calendar set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026. Under the revised guidelines released on February 26, 2026, campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections commenced on August 19, 2026, while governorship and state assembly campaigns opened on September 9, 2026.

With the presidential election scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, and governorship polls slated for Saturday, February 6, 2027, the APC inauguration places the party squarely into the final 90-day sprint before voting begins.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council features a wide array of party leadership and veteran political strategists:

* Leadership: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Chairman), Vice President Kashim Shettima (Vice Chairman I), and APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda (Vice Chairman II).

* Director-General: Former Zamfara State Governor and serving Senator, Abdulaziz Yari, leads the operational execution of the campaign.

* Secretariat: Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma serves as Campaign Secretary.

* Stakeholder Inclusion: The council brings together members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), National Assembly leadership, former governors, and key party elders.

The operations are split across specialised directorates covering Contact and Mobilisation, Strategy, Media and Publicity, Youth, Women, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Security, Finance, and Election Planning and Monitoring.

The APC’s push for harmonised campaign structures follows strict warnings from electoral umpire INEC regarding adherence to statutory campaign windows. Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 stipulates that campaign activity in public must begin 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours before voting begins—setting the presidential campaign deadline on January 14, 2027.

INEC has reiterated that political parties must run issue-based campaigns, refrain from abusive language and vote-buying, and strictly abide by the Peace Accord overseen by the National Peace Committee.

Wednesday’s inauguration officially sets the stage for the APC’s re-election campaign as party organs prepare to roll out zonal drives across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. (The Nation)