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The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has issued a directive restricting ministers, political appointees, and members of its 2027 campaign council to attending presidential campaign rallies solely in their respective home states.
The instruction was contained in an official circular dated Tuesday, signed by the Director-General of the council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar.
The circular, addressed to all directors and heads of directorates, outlined strict operational guidelines for participation in the party’s presidential campaign rallies across the 36 states and geopolitical zones.
Outlining the rationale behind the decision, the campaign leadership noted: “As the 2027 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) intensifies its campaign activities across the states and geopolitical zones, it is imperative to provide clear guidelines on participation at campaign rallies for strict compliance.”
The council emphasized that campaign events are intended to energize local party structures and showcase federal achievements to voters nationwide.
“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. “Participation should therefore be organised in a manner that advances these objectives.”
Under the new guidelines, directorates without assigned roles at rallies must focus on executing their designated tasks, with the circular explicitly instructing them to “remain focused on the implementation of their approved Work Plans and Budgets.”
Cabinet ministers and political appointees received specific mandates to concentrate their energy exclusively on their local constituencies.
“They are required to attend only the rallies held in their home states,” the document read, adding that they must “focus on grassroots mobilisation across their polling units, wards and Local Government Areas (LGAs), in line with the pyramid concept of the campaign plan to ensure targeted coordination and implementation.”
The same restrictions apply to members of the Presidential Campaign Council, who were instructed to prioritize grassroots mobilization and work plan execution in their states of origin.
Regarding the APC National Working Committee (NWC), members were similarly directed to confine rally attendance to their home states to manage state and zonal party affairs.
The circular noted that NWC members, “with the exception of the National Chairman, National Secretary, National Women’s Leader, National Youth Leader, and National Organising Secretary,” are expected to attend only the campaign rallies held in their home states.
The campaign management also highlighted plans to increase the prominence of legislative candidates during rally proceedings, stating: “The Council seeks to strengthen the visibility of the APC State Assembly, House of Representatives, and Senatorial candidates at the rallies.”
Directors were mandated to ensure total compliance across all units, with the document stating: “Directors are requested to ensure that the contents of this circular are brought to the attention of all officers within their Directorates and that its provisions are duly observed.”
This organizational realignment follows President Bola Tinubu’s announcement on October 14, 2026, during the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, where he stated he would not attend every campaign rally due to governance demands.
“You’ve warned me not to allow the rigour of the campaign to distract me from governance, I hear you. I am in full agreement with your decision. Nigeria needs more attention now,” President Tinubu stated at the inauguration. “So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait.”
The President assured party members that despite his reduced travel schedule, he would still address citizens directly as campaign teams move across the country.
“However, I will still make time to speak directly with Nigerians, even as you lead the campaign in the states and local government areas,” Tinubu added.
According to the APC nationwide campaign schedule covering the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, President Tinubu is set to lead rallies in 12 selected states, including Rivers, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, and Adamawa, culminating in a grand finale in Lagos on January 9, 2027.
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