The All Progressives Congress will begin its campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in Kaduna on October 24, with visits to other states planned as the party prepares for the 2027 general election.
Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, announced the date on Friday after meeting Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Yari said the campaign council would hold its inaugural meeting on October 14 at the State House Banquet Hall, after which the detailed schedule of campaign activities would be released.
He identified Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Maiduguri, Borno State, as the next destinations following the Kaduna flag-off.
According to him, the President has approved the proposed state visits, allowing the campaign team to commence its activities later this month.
Yari expressed confidence that Tinubu would win a second term, arguing that success in a presidential election requires a strong political presence in both northern and southern Nigeria.
He challenged the electoral strength of opposition figures, particularly former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The APC campaign chief maintained that popularity in one region alone would not guarantee victory, insisting that a candidate must secure meaningful support across the country.
He referenced former President Muhammadu Buhari’s electoral record to support his argument, claiming that Tinubu had a broader geographical spread of political support, with more than 10 states in both the North and South.
Yari also defended the Tinubu administration’s record, saying the ruling party would focus on its achievements rather than make fresh promises to voters.
“We are not promising. We are doing it, and we are going to continue,” he said.
Tinubu appointed Yari to lead the presidential campaign council on August 22, 2026. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was named secretary, while Tinubu chairs the council alongside Vice-President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda as vice-chairmen.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections. Political parties are permitted to campaign until January 15, 2027.