Gbajabiamila names only three officials to speak for APC presidential campaign council

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) has limited its public voice to three officials. Chief of Staff to the President and Deputy Director-General (Administration) of the council, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the change on Wednesday, according to ThisDay and Punch.

The three are the council's Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; its official spokesperson and Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

In a directive, Gbajabiamila said the step was meant to ensure "more cohesive, disciplined, and effective public engagement". He said the council had made changes to the structure of its Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications and approved that only the three named officials would speak on its behalf.

He added that all persons previously announced as spokespersons would now be dissolved into the Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications as members. Radio and television stations were asked to take note and act accordingly. According to the directive, the campaign will delegate suitable persons for appearances where and when necessary.

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) reacted quickly. Its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement that the council saw the move as a sign of desperation. The ADC-PCC argued that the dissolution should have gone further and advised President Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the 2027 race in the interest of the country. These are the opposition's claims and the APC has not accepted that reading.

Campaign councils often narrow their messaging as elections draw closer, because a large number of spokespersons can produce conflicting statements. The APC-PCC's directive suggests it wants a single, tightly controlled line, with a minister of information and a minister of solid minerals carrying the public role alongside the director-general.

The decision also means that a number of people who have appeared on television panels and issued statements in the council's name will no longer do so unless they are specifically delegated. Broadcasters that routinely invite campaign figures will have to confirm who is authorised before booking guests.

With the 2027 general election still some months away, both major camps are building their communication teams. How the new arrangement works in practice will become clearer as the campaign moves into the states.