Hope Uzodimma says governors will lead state-level mobilisation as the ruling party steps up its preparations for the presidential election

Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, said on Thursday, August 27, 2026, that APC governors had accepted responsibility for delivering their respective states for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election following a meeting with the President in Abuja.

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Uzodimma said the governors were firmly behind Tinubu and would work with the All Progressives Congress and its leaders to lead campaigns and mobilise voters across their states.

“What we have agreed with Mr President is that he will be delivered. All the APC governors are solidly behind Mr President,” Uzodimma told State House correspondents after the meeting.

He said each governor would identify what was required to run an effective campaign in his or her state, stressing that the electoral responsibility at the subnational level would largely rest with the governors.

“The responsibility of delivering the election lies on the shoulders of the governors at the subnational level, and it is a combination of what happens at the subnational level and the push at the national level that will yield the result we are looking for,” he said.

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule reinforced the position, arguing that the practical work of winning elections takes place outside the Federal Capital Territory.

“Elections are not in Abuja. They are at the states. So the governors take the lead in this campaign at the various states,” Sule said.

The declarations come as the APC moves from internal preparations towards a more visible campaign structure ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

President Tinubu formally constituted the APC Presidential Campaign Council on August 22, with himself and Vice President Kashim Shettima named chairman and vice chairman respectively.

Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was appointed Director-General, while Uzodimma was named secretary. (State House)

The campaign structure includes senior party figures assigned responsibilities covering administration, mobilisation, media, election planning and the six geopolitical zones.

Uzodimma said Tinubu formally briefed the governors on the campaign council during Thursday’s meeting and that they agreed with its composition.

The political discussions, however, shared the agenda with a substantial conversation about governance.

According to Uzodimma, most of the meeting focused on reducing the economic pressures facing Nigerians, particularly the cost of food and transportation.

“We spoke basically on two issues: one, politics, and the other, governance,” he said.

“Governance, which took most of the time, is about how to reduce the cost of living in Nigeria, the cost of transportation, food security, agriculture, bringing prosperity to the people, ensuring that the dividends of the various reforms we have gotten over the years trickle down to the people, so the people can feel it.”

The governors also reviewed the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms and considered areas where interventions could be strengthened.

Sule said the President placed particular emphasis on Nigeria’s gas resources and their potential contribution to the country’s energy transition and economic growth.

“My own amazement is actually the amount of knowledge that Mr President has about gas in this country,” Sule said.

He said Tinubu spoke extensively about gas utilisation, particularly compressed natural gas, and the resources being committed to developing the sector.

The discussion reflects one of the central economic questions facing the administration as it prepares to seek a second term: whether reforms that have imposed significant short-term pressures can translate into tangible improvements in household welfare.

Uzodimma said the governors were satisfied with the governance discussions and would continue to work with the Federal Government to ensure that the benefits of its reforms reach ordinary Nigerians.

Sule also said Tinubu urged the governors to maintain party unity, promote national cohesion and prioritise poverty reduction.

“Mr President continued to emphasise the unity of the party, the unity of the country, reduction of poverty in this country, and what governors must do to ensure that we do everything possible to reduce poverty and to make sure that we carry everybody along,” he said.

The political mobilisation comes as other parties and political blocs also intensify preparations for the 2027 contest.

INEC’s official timetable provides for the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 20, 2027, followed by governorship and State House of Assembly elections on March 6, 2027. (INEC Nigeria)

The ruling party’s strategy is therefore increasingly shifting towards translating its organisational strength at the state level into electoral support.

With APC governors controlling 31 states, according to recent reports, their pledge places considerable emphasis on the governors’ ability to mobilise party structures and voters within their jurisdictions. (PM News Nigeria)

But the pledge also places a political burden on the governors. Their ability to deliver the states will ultimately depend not only on party organisation but also on how voters assess economic conditions, governance and the performance of the administration.

For Tinubu, the governors’ commitment offers a powerful mobilisation network ahead of the 2027 race.

For the governors, Thursday’s declaration represents a clear acceptance of responsibility for translating the APC’s national campaign into votes at the grassroots.

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As the campaign machinery takes shape, the coming months will show whether the governors can convert that political confidence into sustained grassroots support across their respective states.