By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The All Progressives Congress APC Presidential Campaign Council has begun a nationwide tour of traditional rulers ahead of the 2027 general elections, starting with the Emir of Ilorin and the Ooni of Ife.
The Director General of the Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, led a delegation of party chieftains to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-Gambari, in Kwara State. The delegation also called on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), in Osun State.
A statement issued by Yari’s media office on Sunday night said the visits were meant to deepen the party’s engagement with traditional institutions and to seek the counsel and support of the royal fathers.
It added that the Council was not asking the monarchs for an endorsement or for help in mobilising voters. According to the statement, the delegation came “but rather to seek the prayers and blessings of the royal fathers, underscoring the moral and spiritual anchorage traditional rulers provide in the nation’s political process.”
The statement said the two visits “mark the formal commencement of a nationwide consultative tour to traditional and political leaders across the country, building consensus and gathering blessings ahead of key campaign activities leading up to 16th January 2027, a significant date in the electoral calendar.”
Speaking at the Emir of Ilorin’s palace, Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, said he was confident the APC would win the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly seats in Kwara.
He pointed to progress recorded in the state since 2019, including the resolution of past challenges in education and healthcare delivery, the establishment of new hospitals and wide-ranging reforms.
Yari said the campaign would draw on the strength of the party and the achievements of the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. He added that the Governor’s role as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum would help the party extend its reach nationally.
The statement said the consultations reflect the Council’s recognition of the part traditional rulers play in promoting peace, unity and stability. It also said the party remains committed to carrying all stakeholders along in the build-up to the elections.
Yari was accompanied by the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Bashiru; a former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Bello Masari.
Also on the delegation were Senators Adamu Aliero, Ali Modu Sheriff, Rochas Okorocha, Ahmad Sani Yarima, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Danjuma Goje. They are former governors of Kebbi, Borno, Imo, Zamfara, Jigawa and Gombe states respectively.
The team also included two other former governors, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State and Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, as well as another former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Dimeji Bankole.
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