Ebonyi APC kicks over Wike’s inclusion in Tinubu’s campaign council

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State has expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of prominent politicians from other parties, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, into the party’s revised Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general election.

A media aide to the Ebonyi State APC chairman, Polycarp Obinna Alegu, who criticised the appointments, argued that the decision could undermine the commitment of party members who have remained loyal to the APC over the years. The appointments of Wike, Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, have generated mixed reactions among political stakeholders.

While some party members consider the arrangement unfair to loyalists, others believe it could help Tinubu expand his political support base ahead of the next presidential election.

Under the revised arrangement, Wike was assigned to coordinate the President’s campaign in Rivers State and the FCT. Soludo was named coordinator for Anambra State, while Adeleke was assigned the same responsibility in Osun State.

The appointments have raised questions about the role of politicians who belong to other political parties in the campaign structure of the ruling APC, particularly in states where the party has its own established members and leadership.

Alegu, who claimed to be an APC member since 2015, took to Facebook to express his reservations about the decision. He maintained that the ruling party had enough experienced and committed members to handle the responsibilities assigned to the three politicians. He said politicians from other parties could support Tinubu’s re-election bid without being appointed to positions within the APC’s campaign council.

“They can be in their party and be supporting President Tinubu’s re-election, but not to include them in the party’s campaign council where every secret of the family (party) will be known by them (strangers),” he wrote.

Alegu argued that placing politicians who had not formally joined the APC in strategic campaign positions could create dissatisfaction among members who had worked to build the party’s structures and mobilise support for its candidates.

He questioned why the President would assign campaign coordination responsibilities to politicians affiliated with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Accord Party when APC members were available in the affected states.

“Imagine Wike of PDP coordinating APC in Abuja and Rivers State. Imagine Soludo of APGA and Adeleke of Accord coordinating APC in Anambra and Osun, respectively, when true members of the party, APC, from the respective states are there,” he stated.

The APC aide said that the arrangement could send the wrong signal to party members, particularly those who expect loyalty and membership to be considered when important campaign appointments are made.

He also raised concerns about the possibility of conflicting political interests, arguing that politicians who wanted to participate fully in the APC’s campaign structure should formally identify with the party.

Alegu urged Tinubu to reconsider the appointments and take the concerns of longstanding members into account, warning that dissatisfaction over the arrangement could affect morale within the party as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.

However, some supporters of the President’s decision argue that electoral politics requires alliances and that the involvement of influential politicians could strengthen the APC’s chances in states where it hopes to secure more votes.

Another Facebook user, Kingsley Nwanga, defended the appointments, arguing that the President’s decision should be considered in light of the political influence sitting governors and other prominent officeholders command in their respective states.

Nwanga questioned the wisdom of overlooking a sitting governor when the objective was to secure electoral support for Tinubu

“You don’t expect the President to shortchange a sitting governor and put someone else in his campaign council. How nah?” he wrote.

Meanwhile, APGA chieftain and political commentator in Ebonyi State, Godwin Iteshi, welcomed the decision, describing it as a practical approach to building a wider coalition of support for Tinubu.

Iteshi argued that political cooperation should not be rejected simply because the individuals involved belong to different parties.

He urged the President to extend the approach to other states, particularly in the South East, where cooperation among political groups could strengthen his re-election campaign.

He maintained that the willingness of politicians from different platforms to support the same candidate should be viewed as an advantage rather than a threat to the ruling party.

To illustrate his position, Iteshi pointed to the activities of APGA candidates in Ebonyi North Senatorial District and the Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency.

He claimed that the candidates were supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid and that of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, despite belonging to a different political party. He said the politicians were contributing their resources, contacts, and grassroots networks to mobilise support for both leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Having them as members of the Presidential Campaign Council, to me, is not an anomaly. The interest is to deliver Mr President and Governor Nwifuru in Ebonyi State,” Iteshi said.

He added that political differences should not prevent politicians with similar objectives from working together, especially when their cooperation could improve electoral prospects for candidates they support.

“For us in APGA in Ebonyi State, the progressives are working together. Those against the decision to work together for the President and the governor are those who have been rejected by the masses,” he added.

Iteshi also claimed that members of the APGA and PDP in Ebonyi State were supporting the re-election campaigns of Tinubu and Nwifuru.

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