APC governors have pledged to back President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, promising to lead grassroots mobilisation and deliver their states for the party.
Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term, assuring that they will take responsibility for mobilising voters and securing victory for the party across their respective states in the 2027 presidential election.
The governors also pledged to work with the national leadership of the party and other stakeholders to strengthen the campaign structure ahead of the election, with individual state governors expected to develop strategies suited to the political realities in their areas.
The commitment followed a meeting between the APC governors and President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking with State House Correspondents after the meeting, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, said the discussions covered both governance and preparations for the forthcoming election.
Uzodinma explained that governance took up a significant part of the meeting, particularly the need for government at all levels to ensure that economic reforms translate into noticeable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
According to him, the governors discussed practical measures for reducing the pressure of the rising cost of living and improving the welfare of citizens.
He listed transportation, food security and agriculture among the major issues considered during the meeting, noting that the government must continue looking for ways to make its interventions more effective.
“Governance, which took most of the time, is about how to reduce the cost of living in Nigeria, ease the cost of transportation, food security, agriculture, bring prosperity to the people and ensure that the dividends of the various reforms we have gotten over the years trickle down to the people,” Uzodinma said.
The Imo governor said the conversation reflected the concerns confronting Nigerians as the government continues to implement economic reforms.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that the benefits of such policies are eventually felt beyond government circles and reach households and communities across the country.
The governors’ meeting with the President therefore provided an opportunity to assess some of the challenges associated with the implementation of government policies while considering additional steps that could improve their impact.
Uzodinma, however, said political matters also featured prominently during the discussions, particularly as political parties and their structures gradually begin preparations for the 2027 general elections.
He disclosed that President Tinubu formally informed the governors about the constitution of the Presidential Election Committee, signalling the beginning of a more coordinated approach to the President’s re-election campaign.
According to the PGF chairman, the governors agreed with the President on the direction of the preparations and reiterated their commitment to ensuring the APC performs strongly in their respective states.
“All the APC governors are solidly behind Mr President. To that extent, governors are expected to deliver their states,” he said.
The statement places considerable responsibility on the governors, who are expected to utilise their existing political structures to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the election.
Uzodinma explained that there would not necessarily be a one-size-fits-all approach to the campaign, as the political circumstances and electoral dynamics differ from one state to another.
He said individual governors would be expected to identify the specific requirements for achieving success in their states and work towards addressing them before the election.
The Imo governor described the subnational level as a critical component of the President’s electoral strategy, arguing that the outcome of the 2027 election would depend partly on the ability of governors to consolidate support within their states.
“The responsibility of delivering the elections lies on the shoulders of the governors at the subnational level. It is a combination of what has happened at the subnational level and the push at the federal level that will yield the result we are looking for,” he said.
His remarks suggest that APC governors are expected to play more than a symbolic role in the President’s campaign. Beyond publicly endorsing Tinubu, they are likely to be involved in grassroots mobilisation, coordination with party leaders and efforts to consolidate the APC’s support base ahead of the poll.
Uzodinma also dismissed any suggestion of division among the APC governors over the President’s re-election campaign, insisting that they remained united in their support for Tinubu.
“We are united. We are supporting Mr President’s re-election; we are supporting the success of the election. We will work with our party, the APC, and we will work with other leaders of the party,” he said.
He added that the governors would cooperate with the wider APC leadership and other influential members of the party throughout the election process.
The commitment comes as political activities surrounding the 2027 elections continue to take shape, with political parties expected to intensify consultations, mobilisation and preparations as the election approaches.
For the APC, the support of its governors could prove particularly important because state-level political structures remain central to election mobilisation and voter engagement.
The governors have direct political influence within their respective states and are positioned to coordinate party activities from the state level down to local government areas and wards.
Their ability to work collectively with the national leadership could therefore significantly shape the APC’s campaign strategy.
However, Uzodinma’s comments indicate that the governors’ immediate focus is not limited to electoral calculations. By placing governance at the centre of their meeting with Tinubu, they also highlighted the need for the administration to address economic concerns that continue to affect Nigerians.
The emphasis on food security, transportation, agriculture and the cost of living reflects the broader challenge facing the administration as it seeks to convince Nigerians that its economic reforms will eventually produce meaningful improvements.
The governors’ pledge to support Tinubu’s re-election consequently comes alongside an expectation that the government will continue working to make its policies more beneficial to citizens.
With the 2027 presidential election still ahead, the APC governors have now made their position clear: they intend to stand behind Tinubu and assume a leading role in the effort to retain the presidency for the party.
The coming months are expected to reveal how the governors translate that commitment into concrete campaign activities, grassroots mobilisation and electoral strategies in their individual states.
For now, the Progressive Governors’ Forum says the governors remain united behind the President and prepared to work with the APC leadership to pursue victory at the polls.
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