2027: APC’s re-election campaign will be different, says Al-Makura
Former Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has hinted that the political dynamics leading to the 2027 general election will be different from previous campaigns across Nigeria. He said a
Former Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has hinted that the political dynamics leading to the 2027 general election will be different from previous campaigns across Nigeria.
He said a new strategy anchored on grassroots mobilisation and public enlightenment was already taking shape within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Al-Makura, who was Nassarawa South senator and chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, spoke at the weekend in Abuja while hosting members of APC’s Independent Campaign Council (ICC) Media Team, led by Dr. Maria Olasehinde.
He was responding to Dr. Olasehinde’s proposal that her team would present a SWOT analysis and help work out how to make President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign more impactful than that of 2023.
Al-Makura, who is playing a role within the central coordinating structure of the ruling party’s emerging campaign framework, agreed that the next electoral contest must be driven by a more organised communication strategy aimed at explaining government policies to Nigerians and deepening grassroots engagement.
The former governor, who is also the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), stated that the approach being developed ahead of the 2027 polls would differ from past campaigns.
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According to him, this is because it is being directly shaped by the leadership vision of President Tinubu.
Al-Makura said: “This will be a different kind of approach to politics. We have the President himself directing the affairs on how these things should go, in line with his principles, ideas and values.”
Although formal campaign activities have yet to begin, the ex-governor announced that an initiative, tagged: the “Renewed Hope Agenda Initiative,” was already serving as a precursor to the full campaign structure expected to emerge after the party’s primaries.
The initiative, he explained, is designed primarily as a public enlightenment platform to educate citizens on the rationale behind the administration’s policies and reforms.
“One of the focus areas of this initiative is to ensure that people are enlightened, educated, and aware of the reasons behind what Mr. President is doing,” he said.
Al-Makura described the strategy as a “grassroots-focused approach” intended to connect federal policies with everyday Nigerians and ensure that citizens understand the intended benefits of ongoing reforms.
He added that the administration’s policies are aimed at closing long-standing developmental gaps and improving national prosperity, particularly for ordinary Nigerians.
The former governor referred to ongoing nationwide infrastructure projects as examples of what he called the government’s bold development drive.
He stressed that while huge projects, such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto highway, are linking up vast areas, there are still other new projects and road corridors linking several northern states.
“Never in the history of this country has a government come out with such robust infrastructure that cuts across the entire country,” he said.
Al-Makura also referenced the recent approval of a new road corridor linking Keffi in Nasarawa State to Jos in Plateau State through several northern states.
The APC stalwart described it as part of a broader plan to expand connectivity and stimulate economic growth.
Al-Makura defended the Tinubu administration’s decision to remove petrol subsidy, arguing that the move had eliminated chronic fuel scarcity and long queues at filling stations.
“He removed the subsidy, and Nigerians are better off. The era when drivers and vehicle owners spent days looking for fuel is gone,” he said.
The former governor noted that the policy had freed more resources for subnational governments.
He added that states now receive hugely increased allocations to implement development projects.
Al-Makura said the success of the administration’s reform agenda—and its political messaging ahead of 2027—would depend significantly on effective communication.
He urged members of the media and the ICC communication team to play a critical role in shaping public understanding of the government’s programmes.
“This cannot be successful without the media—particularly the media that has seen the process before and understands the fault lines in previous political engagements,” he said.
Reflecting on the 2023 election cycle, the former Nasarawa State governor hailed members of the ICC press team for their contributions, acknowledging that their work helped shape the campaign narrative.
He admitted that some supporters and communication strategists who worked for the party during the election were not sufficiently appreciated afterwards, attributing the lapse partly to internal political distractions and what he called the activities of “fifth columnists”.
Despite the lapses, Al-Makura said their contributions were recognised and remained significant in the party’s political trajectory.
“I know the efforts you put in during the election and the role you played in how the results came about,” he said.
The former governor also assured the team that broader consultations would be carried out across the country to ensure inclusive participation in the emerging campaign structure.
According to him, engagement with stakeholders across the six geopolitical zones would form part of the strategy to ensure that campaign activities are not concentrated only in Abuja but extended nationwide.
“We will create platforms for engagement across the six geopolitical zones so that your activities will not be isolated in Abuja alone,” Al-Makura said.
