By CHARLES IWUOHA

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the inclusion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike; Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo; and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, in the All Progressives Congress (APC) revised Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general election.

While some APC stakeholders in Ebonyi State have described the appointments as unfair to loyal party members, chieftains of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have welcomed the move, describing it as a strategic decision aimed at strengthening President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The revised campaign council list reportedly features prominent political figures from opposition parties, serving governors and key legislators across the country.

Under the reported arrangements, Wike was named campaign coordinator for Rivers State and the FCT, while Adeleke and Soludo were assigned coordinating roles in Osun and Anambra states, respectively.

However, the appointments have sparked criticism among some APC members in Ebonyi State, who argue that giving prominent opposition figures leadership roles in the ruling party’s campaign structure could undermine the commitment of longstanding party loyalists.

A media aide to the Ebonyi State APC chairman, Mr. Polycarp Obinna Alegu, expressed his reservations in a Facebook post, urging Tinubu to reconsider the inclusion of Wike, Soludo and Adeleke in the campaign council.

Alegu argued that the APC had enough competent and committed members capable of handling the responsibilities assigned to the three politicians.

He maintained that while the opposition figures could support Tinubu’s re-election bid, their inclusion in the party’s campaign structure was inappropriate unless they formally joined the APC.

“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, who said he had been a member of the APC since 2015, described the arrangement as capable of discouraging loyal party members and urged the President to reconsider the decision.

He also questioned the rationale behind appointing politicians from other parties to coordinate the APC’s campaigns in states where the ruling party has its own members and structures.

“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 when true members of the party, APC, from the respective states are there,” he stated.

Alegu further argued that the arrangement could be interpreted as encouraging anti-party activities, insisting that politicians who wished to participate fully in the APC’s campaign structure should formally join the party.

He urged Tinubu to consider the concerns of party loyalists, warning that the appointments could create dissatisfaction among members who had remained committed to the APC over the years.

However, another Facebook user, Mr. Kingsley Nwanga, defended the decision, arguing that political interests and strategic considerations often influence campaign arrangements.

Nwanga questioned why a sitting governor should be overlooked in favour of another individual when the objective was to mobilise support for the President in that state.

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

He argued that sitting governors possessed significant political influence and grassroots structures that could be useful in securing electoral support, adding that political alliances were often shaped by shared interests.

In contrast to the criticism from some APC members, political analyst and APGA chieftain in Ebonyi State, Comrade Godwin Iteshi, commended Tinubu for including opposition figures in the presidential campaign council.

Iteshi described the decision as a strategic move that could broaden the President’s political support base and improve the chances of his re-election.

He urged Tinubu to extend the approach to other states, particularly in the South-East, where political cooperation across party lines could help strengthen the President’s support.

According to him, the willingness of politicians from different parties to work towards a common electoral objective should be viewed as an opportunity to build a broader coalition rather than as a threat to party loyalty.

Iteshi cited the activities of APGA candidates in Ebonyi North Senatorial District and the Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, whom he said were campaigning for Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru despite belonging to a different political party.

He said the candidates were contributing their resources, political contacts and grassroots networks to mobilise support for the President and the governor 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 maintained that political cooperation among progressive-minded politicians in the state should take precedence over differences in party affiliation.

“For we 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 further claimed that members of the APGA and PDP in Ebonyi State were supporting the re-election bids of Tinubu and Nwifuru.

The differing reactions highlight the debate within political circles over the balance between rewarding party loyalty and building cross-party alliances ahead of the 2027 general election.

While critics insist that campaign leadership positions should primarily be reserved for committed APC members, supporters of the appointments argue that incorporating influential politicians from other parties could expand the President’s political reach and strengthen grassroots mobilisation.

The controversy comes as political actors across the country begin positioning themselves and their structures ahead of the next general election.