APC govs move to shield Tinubu from campaign trail

• To meet President this week, work out modalities

From **Fred Itua, **Abuja

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are seeking President Bola Tinubu’s approval for a campaign strategy that would limit his appearances on the 2027 presidential campaign trail and place governors and other party leaders at the forefront of nationwide mobilisation.

Daily Sun learnt that the governors, who are expected to meet the President this week, plan to present a template under which they would lead rallies, grassroots mobilisation and other public-facing activities, while Tinubu makes selective appearances at politically strategic events.

The proposal reflects concerns over the President’s standing in parts of the North, South-South and South-East, as well as the risks associated with repeated appearances before large crowds. The governors believe a controlled deployment would protect Tinubu from the physical demands and potential controversies of the campaign while allowing them to use their local structures to strengthen the party nationwide.

The proposal marks a significant departure from earlier arrangements under which the President was expected to appear at least once in each of the six geopolitical zones.

That plan appears to have been modified, with Saturday’s North-Central campaign gathering in Nasarawa State proceeding without the President.

Sources within the party told Daily Sun that the governors would use their meeting with Tinubu to formally present the new template and seek his endorsement for an arrangement that would substantially reduce his exposure to the day-to-day demands of the campaign trail.

Under the proposal, the governors would lead mobilisation across the country, with Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma, expected to play a coordinating role.

The organisational structure already established by the President would, however, continue to operate alongside the National Working Committee of the APC.

Sources stressed that the plan does not envisage completely taking Tinubu out of the campaign.

“He may still be brought in on limited occasions when circumstances demand his presence. The principal expectation, however, is that he would remain largely insulated from the day-to-day campaign activities.

“The one event in which his participation is considered most likely is the grand finale of the campaign, at which he would deliver a major address and appear before the party faithful,” a high-profile source familiar with the discussions said.

Daily Sun gathered that the proposal gained traction following concerns among some of the governors over what they consider the President’s political standing in parts of the country.

According to sources, the governors are particularly concerned about what they perceive as declining support for the President in sections of the North, South-South and South-East, while believing that his political base remains comparatively stronger in the South-West.

Against this backdrop, some of the governors are said to have concluded that repeatedly putting the President before large campaign crowds may carry greater political risks than benefits. They are also said to be mindful of controversies that followed some of Tinubu’s public appearances during the 2023 presidential campaign, when verbal slips and other incidents became subjects of opposition attacks and social media commentary.

The governors, according to sources, believe a recurrence during the 2027 campaign could give the opposition ammunition and distract attention from the message the ruling party intends to take to the electorate.

Consequently, they are pushing for what a source described as a “controlled deployment” of the President, with governors, ministers, party leaders and other campaign officials carrying much of the burden of rallies and grassroots mobilisation.

By taking direct charge of the campaign trail, the governors hope to present a more tightly managed public face for the ruling party while allowing the presidential campaign machinery and the APC National Working Committee to concentrate on strategy, organisation and logistics.

The meeting with Tinubu is expected to determine the precise division of responsibilities and secure his approval for the proposed arrangement.

If endorsed, governors would assume the frontline role in mobilising support across the six geopolitical zones, while Tinubu would be deployed selectively at events considered politically strategic.

Sources said the President would almost certainly take centre stage at the grand finale of the campaign, where he is expected to make a major pitch for a second term.

The governors’ position, Daily Sun learnt, is that limiting the President’s appearances would not diminish his authority over the campaign or alter structures already approved by him.

Rather, they see it as a political risk-management strategy that would free Tinubu from the physical demands and potential pitfalls of criss-crossing the country for rallies while allowing governors to deploy their local structures and political networks in their respective zones.

Saturday’s event in Nasarawa State is being viewed within party circles as an early indication of how the arrangement could work, with governors and other senior party figures shouldering the public mobilisation without Tinubu’s direct involvement.

Attention will now turn to the planned meeting between the governors and the President and, particularly, whether Tinubu will accept a campaign formula that would sharply limit his appearances on the road.

For the governors, sources said, the calculation is straightforward: deploy the President where his presence would deliver maximum political value while shielding him from appearances they believe could expose the campaign to avoidable risks.

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