By Our Correspondent
Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called for a major shift in the party’s campaign strategy, warning that the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not be driven solely from Abuja or state capitals.
The stakeholders want the campaign to be decentralised and firmly rooted at the grassroots, with political mobilisation reaching wards, communities and polling units across the country.
The call was made on Thursday in Abuja by members of the Concerned National APC Stakeholders Forum during the inauguration of state coordinators and grassroots canvassers for the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 campaign.
The forum said the new structure was designed to take the campaign directly to the people and create a stronger connection between the APC and voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at the event, the forum’s Convener and National Coordinator, Dr Dominic Alancha, said the initiative would build a nationwide grassroots network capable of mobilising voters from the polling-unit level upward.
According to the stakeholders, political campaigns must go beyond large rallies, television appearances and activities involving only prominent political figures.
They argued that sustainable electoral support is built through direct engagement with voters, explaining government policies and listening to the concerns of people in their communities.
The group said its campaign structure would focus on wards, local government areas and polling units, with coordinators expected to work closely with grassroots supporters across the country.
The stakeholders also stressed that the 2027 campaign should be based on ideas, engagement, persuasion and performance, rather than intimidation, abuse or political confrontation.
The position represents an attempt by pro-Tinubu stakeholders to begin early grassroots mobilisation ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive presidential election.
Rather than waiting until the formal campaign season, the group intends to establish structures that can maintain regular contact with voters and communicate the administration’s policies and achievements at the community level.
The stakeholders believe that a campaign built around polling units and local communities would give the APC a stronger organisational advantage and help the party understand the concerns of ordinary Nigerians.
They also urged party supporters to avoid relying solely on political rallies, arguing that voters should be engaged through persuasion and constructive dialogue.
The development comes as the APC continues preparations for the 2027 elections, with different interests within the party already involved in discussions over the structure of the presidential campaign organisation.
For the Tinubu camp, the emerging strategy is clear: take the campaign to the people before the people are asked to come to the rallies.
With political activities gradually intensifying across the country, the effectiveness of the APC’s proposed grassroots structure could become one of the major factors shaping its campaign ahead of 2027.
The stakeholders have therefore urged party members, coordinators and supporters to work together, strengthen the party’s presence at the grassroots and ensure that the APC’s message reaches voters in every ward and polling unit.
As the race towards 2027 gathers momentum, the battle may increasingly be fought not only on television screens and at major political rallies, but also in neighbourhoods, communities, wards and polling units across Nigeria.
