Wike, Soludo, Adeleke Join APC Campaign Council Despite Belonging to Other Parties

Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled a revised presidential campaign council featuring Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a politically significant move ahead of the 2027 general election.

The expanded council assigns Wike responsibility for coordinating President Bola Tinubu’s campaign in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, while Soludo will oversee mobilization in Anambra and Adeleke will coordinate the campaign in Osun. The revised appointments were reported on Tuesday, October 13, ahead of the council’s scheduled inauguration by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

The appointments are notable because none of the three politicians belongs to the APC. Wike remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Soludo belongs to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Adeleke secured his re-election as Osun governor under the Accord Party.

Their inclusion suggests that Tinubu’s campaign strategy is reaching beyond the ruling party’s formal membership to draw on political relationships and influence across party lines. However, their appointments should not automatically be interpreted as defections to the APC. The published reports establish their campaign assignments, not a change in their party affiliations.

The reshuffle also places several other prominent politicians in strategic positions. Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has been named director of finance, while Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Nigeria Revenue Service chairman Zacch Adedeji will coordinate fundraising. Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje is listed as director of stakeholder mobilization, while former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola will coordinate stakeholder mobilization in the South-West.

The latest list revises the campaign council first announced in August, when former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was appointed director-general. Under the new arrangement, Yari retains that position, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq take up deputy vice-chairmanship roles. Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni becomes a deputy director-general for the North.

The revised structure also gives greater prominence to state-level coordination, with APC governors assigned campaign responsibilities in their respective states. The appointments bring together party leaders, serving governors, federal officials, lawmakers and politicians associated with opposition parties, reflecting an effort to establish a broad mobilization network before the presidential contest.

The choice of Wike is particularly noteworthy. His relationship with Tinubu has remained politically significant since he joined the president’s cabinet as FCT minister in 2023, despite continuing to identify with the PDP. His assignment to Rivers and the FCT gives him a prominent role in two areas where his political networks could be valuable to the president’s re-election campaign.

Adeleke’s inclusion is equally striking because he recently secured another term in Osun under the Accord Party. His political organization had previously dismissed speculation that his engagement with Tinubu meant he was preparing to join the APC. The new campaign appointment therefore raises questions about how the arrangement will operate alongside his existing party affiliation.

Soludo’s role adds another dimension to the strategy. As governor of Anambra and a leading APGA figure, he brings a separate political platform into the campaign’s broader mobilization effort. Whether the appointment translates into a substantial electoral advantage for Tinubu will depend on the governor’s actual involvement and how the arrangement is received by political stakeholders in the state.

The revised council comes as parties prepare for a competitive presidential election, with candidates and political organizations working to build alliances, mobilize voters and consolidate support across the country. For the APC, the challenge is not simply to assemble prominent names but to turn their influence into measurable electoral support.

The presence of politicians from other parties may help Tinubu’s campaign reach beyond its traditional base. It could also generate questions within the APC about the balance between established party loyalists and influential figures whose political identities lie elsewhere. The effectiveness of the council will ultimately depend on coordination, grassroots engagement and the ability to present a convincing case to voters.

The broader significance is that Nigeria’s 2027 election campaign is already testing the boundaries between party loyalty and political pragmatism. Wike, Soludo and Adeleke have been assigned important roles in Tinubu’s campaign without, according to the published reports, changing their party affiliations. Their participation will offer an early indication of how far cross-party alliances can shape the contest, and whether a broad coalition of political influence can translate into votes at the ballot box.