Fresh details have emerged on why a majority of members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were excluded from key positions in the party’s newly constituted Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for the 2027 general election.

Investigations by New Telegraph indicate that dissatisfaction within the Presidency over the conduct of the party’s recent primaries played a major role in the limited representation accorded to NWC members in the campaign structure.

A senior party source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, disclosed that the outcome of the primaries, particularly the controversies that trailed the process and the defeat of several serving National Assembly members seeking renomination, did not sit well with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some key stakeholders.

According to the source, this development influenced the decision to significantly reduce the influence of NWC members in the campaign council.

“Many of the issues that arose from the primaries generated concerns within the Presidency. There was a feeling that some members of the NWC did not effectively manage the process, and that affected their consideration for major campaign roles,” the source said.

The source further revealed that although several NWC members had reportedly lobbied for strategic positions, including the leadership of directorates and coordinating groups, most of them were overlooked when the final list was released.

Out of more than 28 members of the NWC, only seven secured appointments in the PCC, and none was entrusted with the leadership of a directorate or coordinating group.

The seven NWC members appointed into the PCC are:

– Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman – Vice Chairman II of the PCC;
– Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, National Secretary – Deputy Secretary of the PCC;
– Murtala Aliyu Kankia, National Legal Adviser – Secretary, Legal Directorate;
– Uguru Matthew Ofoke, National Treasurer – Secretary, Fundraising Directorate;
– Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary – Coordinating Deputy Director, Media and Strategic Communication;
– Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader – Deputy Director, Youth Mobilisation; and
– Dr. Mary A. Idele, National Women Leader – Secretary, Women Mobilisation Directorate.

The appointments have fuelled speculation within party circles that the NWC was deliberately assigned largely supportive roles, with the leadership of most directorates entrusted to former governors, ministers, lawmakers and other political heavyweights.

Prior to the release of the PCC list, New Telegraph had reported that some NWC members were positioning themselves to head key directorates and campaign units. However, the final composition of the council fell short of those expectations.

The National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, and the National Women Leader, Dr. Mary Idele, had in recent months established separate campaign structures outside the APC National Secretariat in support of President Tinubu’s re-election bid, a move that had raised expectations that they would secure more prominent campaign responsibilities.

This is not the first time NWC members have been sidelined in the party’s presidential campaign machinery.

In the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, members of the NWC were largely excluded from the APC Presidential Campaign Council amid allegations that the then National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, had supported former Senate President Ahmad Lawan’s presidential ambition against Tinubu’s aspiration during the party’s primary election.

Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the PCC list may still undergo adjustments. Party sources hinted that President Tinubu has reportedly directed a review of certain aspects of the campaign council composition following complaints from stakeholders.

Some party leaders have expressed concern that several prominent figures who played significant roles during the APC’s successful 2023 presidential campaign were omitted from the current council.

Although the party has yet to make any official statement on a possible review, insiders say consultations are ongoing and that additional appointments or modifications could be announced in the coming weeks as preparations for the 2027 presidential campaign gather momentum.

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