The appointment positions the former Nigeria Governors’ Forum chairman at the centre of an expansive national campaign apparatus that functions as an operational referendum on the administration’s economic adjustments, regional alliances, and domestic security performance.
President Tinubu serves as chairman of the campaign council, supported by Vice-President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda as vice-chairmen, with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma directing the secretariat as council secretary.
From National Assembly Rivalry to Campaign Command
Yari’s appointment marks a notable political realignment across the ruling party’s leadership hierarchy.
In June 2023, Yari broke party ranks to challenge Godswill Akpabio for the Senate presidency, triggering a floor contest that tested executive influence before concluding in a 63 to 46 vote.
Three years later, both political figures have been integrated into the same national command structure, with Akpabio designated as a deputy director-general while Yari manages the operational machinery nationwide.
Tinubu’s operational choice consolidates northern political infrastructure by bringing together past state executives, legislative power blocs, and the grassroots apparatus of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, which Yari led from 2015 to 2019.
Strategic Territory Control and Campaign Logistics
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike dismissed suggestions regarding a national campaign appointment, stating that his primary objective is securing electoral victories in Rivers State and Abuja rather than holding a central campaign title.
Speaking in Abuja following an inspection of the Apo-Karshi and Kubwa-Bwari road corridors, Wike noted that previous electoral cycles showed how campaign directors-general lost their home states by prioritizing national visibility over local organizational control.
He pointed to past campaigns where former governors Rotimi Amaechi, Bukola Saraki, Simon Lalong, and Aminu Tambuwal managed presidential headquarters while failing to carry their home constituencies.
Wike confirmed that his operational alignment with Tinubu remains independent of formal party council membership, maintaining his status in the Peoples Democratic Party while coordinating sub-national voter mobilization.
Zamfara State Endorsement and Northern Coalition Building
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal commended the appointment, describing the elevation of the former governor as an asset that will anchor the party’s outreach across northern voting corridors.
The federal campaign council has also absorbed multiple generations of Zamfara’s executive leadership, integrating former governors Ahmed Sani Yarima, Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi, and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle into vital campaign roles.
Securing the North-West remains a central strategic requirement for any national coalition, placing heavy demands on Yari’s ability to bridge state-level rivalries, align regional caucuses, and convert legacy patron networks into verified ballots.
ADC Criticises Council Composition Over Corruption Inquiries
The opposition African Democratic Congress issued a sharp rebuke following the publication of the campaign council roster, describing the structure as an attempt to rehabilitate politically exposed persons facing institutional scrutiny.
ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi challenged the Federal Government over the inclusion of former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Betta Edu and former NSITF board chairman Ngozi Olejeme.
Edu was suspended by the presidency in January 2024 over an attempted N585 million fund transfer from the National Social Investment Programme Agency, while Olejeme has faced prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged financial misconduct.
The opposition party demanded that the administration clarify whether formal investigations into the listed individuals had reached legal resolution before assigning them prominent political campaign roles.
The appointment of Abdulaziz Yari signals that the ruling party has prioritized political consolidation and grassroots leverage over previous party feuds, setting up a re-election machinery engineered to defend the administration’s economic record in what promises to be a fiercely contested national contest.
