Tinubu Covered 23 States in 2023, APC Proposes Lean 12-City Tour for 2027 — Kaduna Replaces Jos as Flag-Off Venue

The ruling party plans to begin its presidential campaign in Kaduna on October 24, with Lagos scheduled to host the grand finale on January 9, 2027.

By Emmanuel Kwada

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign is set to begin in Kaduna, marking a departure from the 2022–2023 campaign that opened in Jos, Plateau State, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for another nationwide mobilisation ahead of the next presidential election.

The proposed campaign itinerary features 12 major cities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with the flag-off scheduled for October 24, 2026, and a grand finale planned for Lagos on January 9, 2027.

Participants during the PCC inauguration in Abuja

The proposed schedule represents a more concentrated series of major rallies than the extensive campaign trail undertaken by Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election.

The development comes as the President and the party’s leadership intensify preparations for the next election, with Tinubu signalling that the APC intends to focus its campaign on its achievements, future plans and the mobilisation of voters rather than merely holding rallies across every part of the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu urged party members to treat the next election as an unfinished assignment, insisting that the party must secure votes at the grassroots before celebrating its political achievements.

“I thank all of you for the last election, but no one gets credit for an incomplete assignment. You must deliver in the next election, deliver your wards, and deliver the votes before we can say thank you,” the President said.

Tinubu also declared that the party was prepared for the electoral contest, describing the inauguration as an opportunity to renew its commitment to Nigerians.

“The APC is ready. We have not gathered merely to inaugurate a council but to renew a covenant with the Nigerian people. We promise we will not let them down,” he said.

I thank all of you for the last election, but no one gets credit for an incomplete assignment.

The President’s remarks come amid discussions surrounding the scope and cost of the party’s proposed campaign activities. The statement attributed to Tinubu, “Excuse me from going everywhere to campaign, we have bills to pay,” reflects the argument for a more focused campaign strategy, although the precise context of the remark should be distinguished from the confirmed details of the proposed itinerary.

The APC’s Presidential Campaign Council Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, disclosed that Tinubu had approved the proposed campaign timetable and that Kaduna would host the flag-off. Yari made the announcement on October 9 after meeting the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Yari also outlined the central message of the campaign, saying the party would concentrate on its record in government and its plans for the future.

“Our campaign is going to be centred on what we have done and what we are going to do in the future. We have only one agenda: to deliver President Tinubu’s return as President,” he said.

At the inauguration, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, described the Presidential Campaign Council as a coalition reflecting the political support Tinubu has attracted beyond the ruling party.

“When I look at the amount of roads we have completed and commissioned, I ask myself what others were doing that all these burdens are laid on President Tinubu,” Yilwatda said.

He described the council as a reflection of a broader political alliance, adding that its members shared a commitment to determining the country’s political direction in 2027.

The composition of the campaign council has attracted attention because it includes prominent political figures associated with parties other than the APC, underscoring the complex alliances shaping the next election.

I can feel the victory coming in 2027. Nobody can stop this movement. I’m ready to lead this movement.

Among those who have publicly expressed support for Tinubu’s re-election are Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who recently won re-election on the platform of the Accord Party, and Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Adeleke, who was listed among the campaign council’s directors, expressed confidence in Tinubu’s return to the presidency while addressing supporters at the inauguration.

“I can feel the victory coming in 2027. Nobody can stop this movement. I’m ready to lead this movement. We’re going to sing, we’re going to dance all the way back to Aso Rock,” the Osun governor said.

His declaration adds a new dimension to the political calculations ahead of 2027, particularly given his continued association with the Accord Party rather than the APC.

Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, exchanged pleasantries with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the PCC inauguration in Abuja.

Soludo, meanwhile, offered a positive assessment of the economic reforms pursued under Tinubu, describing the current political and economic alignment as significant.

“There has been no greater consensus politically in recent times for any President like this before. There has never been any consensus agreed economic reform like this before,” Soludo said at the inauguration held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

The presence of governors and political figures from different parties has strengthened the APC’s argument that Tinubu’s re-election bid enjoys support extending beyond the party’s formal membership. However, the extent to which such endorsements will translate into votes remains a question for the 2027 electoral contest.

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has also remained a significant figure in the political landscape surrounding the administration. His presence in the broader political conversation reflects the cross-party relationships that could influence the coming election.

The APC’s mobilisation effort also extends to women’s participation. At the inauguration of the party’s women’s Presidential Campaign Council, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu said the party had consolidated its women-focused support structures behind its electoral platform.

“Every other support group women have, we have collapsed them. What you see on the ballot is APC. We are here to promote APC, nothing less, from presidency to governorship, to National Assembly, to state assembly,” the First Lady said.

There has been no greater consensus politically in recent times for any President like this before.

Her remarks signal the party’s intention to coordinate its women’s mobilisation efforts across the different levels of government, from the presidency to legislative and gubernatorial elections.

In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu’s campaign began with a flag-off rally in Jos on November 15, 2022, attracting then-President Muhammadu Buhari, APC governors and other party leaders. The campaign subsequently travelled across the country, holding rallies and political engagements in numerous states before culminating in a major rally in Lagos on February 21, 2023.

The campaign covered a broad geographical spread, including Kano, Benin City, Yola, Damaturu, Enugu, Ilorin, Calabar, Bauchi, Abeokuta, Sokoto, Lafia, Osogbo, Lokoja, Ibadan, Owerri and Maiduguri, among other locations.

The claim that Tinubu covered 23 states during the 2023 campaign reflects the breadth of his documented campaign appearances, although the precise number depends on whether town hall meetings, other political engagements and additional campaign stops are included.

For 2027, the proposed itinerary places Kaduna at the centre of the opening phase, followed by Port Harcourt on November 7, Jos on November 14 and Ibadan on November 21.

The campaign is then expected to move to Maiduguri on November 25, Enugu on November 28 and Bauchi on November 29, before proceeding to Sokoto on December 5, Asaba on December 12 and Kano on December 17.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, others during the PCC inauguration in Abuja

Yola, Adamawa State, is scheduled to host a rally on January 4, 2027, before the campaign concludes with a major event in Lagos five days later.

The proposed schedule distributes the major rallies across the North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-West, South-East and South-South, giving the party opportunities to engage supporters in different regions.

Kaduna’s selection as the flag-off venue is particularly notable because Jos occupied that position during the previous presidential campaign. The change comes as the APC prepares to defend its position in the next election and mobilise support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.

The proposed itinerary also places emphasis on a limited number of major campaign centres rather than a city-by-city presentation of the extensive trail associated with the 2023 election. However, the 12-city schedule should not automatically be interpreted as the full extent of the party’s planned activities, as additional rallies, town hall meetings and grassroots engagements may be organised.

With Yari emphasising the need to secure votes at the ward level and the First Lady calling for the consolidation of women’s support structures, the party appears to be combining large rallies with efforts to strengthen its grassroots mobilisation machinery.

Participants during the PCC inauguration in Abuja

The campaign is also likely to focus on the administration’s economic reforms, infrastructure projects and other policy decisions, particularly as opposition parties prepare to challenge the President’s record and present alternative programmes to voters.

Although the APC leadership has expressed confidence in Tinubu’s prospects, endorsements from political figures outside the ruling party do not automatically guarantee electoral support. The outcome will ultimately depend on voters’ assessments of the administration’s performance, the strength of competing candidates and the effectiveness of the parties’ mobilisation efforts.

While the campaign council has identified Kaduna as the proposed flag-off venue, the complete list of rally dates and locations circulated online should be distinguished from a formally issued and final campaign timetable.

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