Tinubu, APC Governors Move to Resolve Campaign Council List Controversy
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday held closed-door talks with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress under the aegis of the Progressives Governors’ Forum at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting was the latest in a series of engagements between the President, APC governors and other senior party chieftains aimed at resolving the controversy surrounding the Presidential Campaign Council list released by the party on Saturday, August 23, 2026.
The PUNCH reports that the governors arrived at the President’s office shortly before 4pm on Thursday after emerging from a separate session of the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The consultations, which began on Wednesday, focused on reviewing and adjusting the PCC list, which has generated controversy since its release.
The ruling party had faced backlash over the inclusion of some controversial party chieftains, particularly individuals reportedly facing corruption charges. There were also allegations that some key sections of the party were not adequately consulted in the preparation of the list.
Multiple party sources who spoke with The PUNCH said the meeting, which began at about 4pm on Wednesday and continued until 11pm, could not be concluded.
The discussions therefore continued on Thursday following the regular meeting of the National Executive Committee.
As of Thursday night, the extent of the changes made to the campaign council list could not be independently confirmed.
However, sources close to the APC governors and other party leaders said the list had been reviewed.
One of the sources disclosed that the initial list had been deleted from the party’s X handle and that a new version would be published after President Tinubu approves the recommendations and proposed changes.
“The list is part of the main agenda of the meeting. You can notice that the other controversial list has been deleted from the Twitter handle of the party,” a source close to the APC governors said.
Another senior party chieftain questioned the process through which the initial list was compiled, saying some party structures were not carried along.
“Can you believe that the party was not carried along in the formation of the list? The President’s Special Adviser on Political Matters and a few persons in the Presidency came up with the list,” the chieftain said.
“You can see the backlash that has trailed it. The President is handling the matter, and it is believed that some changes will be made after the two-day meeting.”
Meanwhile, further findings showed that the APC plans to intensify its social intervention programmes ahead of the January 2027 election as part of efforts to reach out to Nigerians and cushion the impact of economic hardship.
The APC had recently released the complete membership list of its 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.
President Tinubu is to chair the council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, were named Vice Chairmen I and II respectively. Senator Abdulaziz Yari was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, was designated Secretary.
The expanded council comprises 223 positions, with directorates covering finance, extractive industries, education, manufacturing and MSMEs, support group coordination, faith-based mobilisation, protocol, labour union relations, special duties, stakeholder mobilisation, community support, digital operations, grassroots engagement and welfare.
Amid the controversies surrounding the list, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, said adjustments would be made where necessary.
Dare said the list remained valid because the campaign structure was not yet complete, with several subcommittees still to be constituted.
“As it is with every other list, there’s a room for subcommittees. Those subcommittees have not been formed, and so many other names will come into that subcommittee,” he said.
Dare also referenced an earlier statement by the APC insisting that the party had not withdrawn the list.
“But of course, there will be adjustments. The list is not cast in stone, just like every other list,” he added.
Asked whether the expected changes amounted to a review of the council, Dare drew a distinction between a review and adjustments, saying changes would only be made where necessary.
“Not a review, just adjustments where necessary,” he said.
He explained that a review would amount to a broader overhaul of the existing structure.
“Review is wholesale, this is not wholesale,” Dare said.
According to him, the planned subcommittees would also create room for more party members and political stakeholders to be accommodated within the campaign structure.