President Bola Tinubu has constituted the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.

A former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, will serve as the council’s Director-General, while Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State was named Secretary.

This is contained in a statement released by the Presidency on Saturday morning, signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima will serve as Chairman and Vice-Chairman 1 of the council, respectively.

The APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, will serve as Vice-Chairman II.

The APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Hadiza Bala-Usman were named Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary.

Tinubu, as chairman, will work with a body of advisers made up of Chief Bisi Akande, Otunba Segun Osoba, Senator Rochas Okorocha, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, were assigned as deputy director-generals for the campaign in the South and North zones. They will work with Senator Bamidele Opeyemi and Senator Jibril Barau.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole will serve as Deputy Director-General for mobilisation, while the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, was named Deputy Director-General for administration.

James Faleke, who played a key role in the party’s 2022/2023 campaign, returns as Deputy Director-General for election planning, coordination and monitoring.

He will work with zonal directors, including Senator Olushola Adeyeye in the South-West, Dr Ngozi Olejeme in the South-South, Senator Uche Ekwunife in the South-East, Muntaqha Rabe in the North-West, Ahmed Muhammed Ketso in the North-Central and Senator Sani Danladi in the North-East.

Stella Okotete, Abdullahi Garba Ramat and Audu Maikori were named secretaries of the election planning directorate, while Muiz Banire, SAN, will lead the legal directorate as Director, with Liman Hassan and Babatunde Ogala as deputies.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, will serve as Coordinating Director for Media and Strategic Communication alongside Dele Alake, Bayo Onanuga and Lanre Issa-Onilu.

Tunde Rahman, Sunday Dare, Daniel Bwala and Felix Morka were named coordinating deputy directors of the same directorate, while Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Temitope Ajayi, Aderonke Arabirin and Frederick Nwabufo will serve as coordinating secretaries.

Segun Dada, who held the position in 2022, returns as Director, New Media, with Solomon Arowolo as Secretary.

The campaign also named five spokespersons led by Alake, alongside Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda.

In the statement, Tinubu charged all council members to work tirelessly to deliver victory for the party in the January 2027 elections.

He urged directorate leaders to reach out to other party members not formally listed to join the campaign effort.

The statement read, “We have delivered on our campaign promises and set our country on a path of economic progress. We are definitely out of the dark tunnel and are now at the cusp of reaping the benefits of a prosperous economy that will benefit all Nigerians.

“As we march into the campaign season, we have many achievements to trumpet, let us confidently showcase our record and inspire hope in every corner of our nation. Let us soundly defeat all those forces who plan to take our country backwards.”

Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of his administration’s commitment to supporting and strengthening the scheme in the State.

Fubara gave the assurance last Friday at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam, Tai Local Government Area in the State, during the swearing-in ceremony of 2026 Batch B Stream II orientation course.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Bureau, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Promise Oguzie, the governor said the State Government would remain intentional in providing the necessary support to improve the NYSC scheme and enhance the experiences of corps members deployed to the state.

He charged the corps members to be role models and quality nation-builders in their service to the good people of Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria at large.

“I charge you to be exemplary, dedicated and committed in all you do. Take full advantage of all the camp programmes and activities to enrich yourselves”, he said.

In his welcome address, the State Coordinator of NYSC in Rivers State, Mr. Moses Oleghe, urged corps members to see their deployment to Rivers State as a “veritable opportunity to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the State in particular and Nigeria at large.”

He further charged them to serve with all sense of “integrity,  discipline, and the fear of God, especially when they will be engaged as INEC ad-hoc staff that will conduct the 2027 general elections.”

A total of 3,584 corps members composed of 1,421 males and 2,163 females were sworn in by the Chief Judge of Rivers State, who was represented by Justice Godspower Aguma.

Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.

The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of  the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.

Fubara who hailed  the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria,  expressed delight  that the  Church had over the years,  been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.

He commended the church for not only using its  institutions to spread the gospel of  Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.

According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also  making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.

He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria  in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing  leaders.

“Our country is where  it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation,  you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.

“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.

Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society,  has also given rise to other problems such as social  inequality, poverty, corruption  and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a  system where the average parent could afford  quality education for their children and a  guarantee that upon graduation, the average  child  will have the  capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.

“If we have a  situation where the little money that you’re being  paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices  we have today won’t be there,” he said.

Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to  the  delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.

Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s  ministers will  be undergoing  an  empowerment programme to further equip  them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.

He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.

Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million  (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship,  spread across 212 countries of the world.