Insiders within the ruling party have disclosed that President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have begun implementing a broad political strategy aimed at securing strong regional backing from the South and the North-Central ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
Sources familiar with discussions at the APC national secretariat told The Punch that the move is designed to guarantee Tinubu’s re-election in the face of expected resistance from parts of the northern region. According to Sunday PUNCH, a senior party figure described the approach as a carefully developed fallback strategy that has been quietly unfolding for more than five months.
The source explained that the plan was shaped by intelligence assessments pointing to possible challenges from core northern states, as well as the emergence of a new opposition alliance reportedly rallying around the African Democratic Party. Prominent party leaders said to be involved in driving the strategy include the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma; the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; and James Faleke, who represents Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
To reduce the impact of any northern opposition, the APC is concentrating on strengthening its political grip in southern Nigeria and the North-Central zone. A party insider, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of internal deliberations, noted that the objective is to sweep all southern states in 2027 and avoid a repeat of the mixed results recorded in the 2023 election.
During the last presidential contest, Atiku Abubakar secured victories in Osun, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa with a combined total of over 637,000 votes, while Labour Party candidate Peter Obi won in several southern states, including Lagos, Enugu, Anambra, Delta, and Edo. According to the APC source, the party now intends to regain lost ground through a combination of strategic partnerships, engagement with influential figures, and the advantages of federal incumbency.
The insider linked the recent wave of defections by opposition governors in the South to the rollout of this strategy, claiming that the groundwork had already been laid for the APC to dominate the region.
“Our efforts have effectively consolidated the South for the President. Barring a few states like Abia and Oyo, most of the region is now firmly aligned with the APC,” the source said. “The Osun State governor has openly expressed support for Asiwaju and even signalled readiness to join the party. Once we lock in the required bloc votes from the South, we are already halfway to victory.”
The party official expressed confidence that securing overwhelming support in the southern states would significantly boost President Tinubu’s chances of retaining power in 2027.
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