…Opposition yet to unveil state-by-state rally schedules

…Makinde’s APM set to present manifesto Wednesday

Barely 74 days to the January 16, 2027 presidential election, Nigeria’s political atmosphere remains unusually subdued, with campaign activities yet to generate the excitement, intensity and mass mobilisation that characterised the previous elections.

The campaign lull has heightened concerns over parties’ preparedness for what is expected to be a fiercely contested presidential election.

Unlike the 2015 and 2019 election cycles, when political activities gathered momentum shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on campaigns, the build-up to the 2027 polls has been markedly different.

Ironically, the Electoral Act 2022 extended the campaign period from 90 to 150 days before polling day, a provision retained under Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, but the longer window appears not to have translated into more vibrant political engagement.

BusinessDay reports that since presidential and National Assembly campaigns officially commenced on August 19, and governorship and State Assembly campaigns on September 9, major parties have struggled to unveil campaign councils and nationwide rally schedules.

Several parties have also failed to unveil their manifestoes, leaving their candidates largely confined to issuing statements on pressing national issues, including petrol subsidy removal, electricity reforms, border security, government palliatives, rising living costs, unemployment and insecurity.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) encountered controversy over its campaign council composition, prompting a review that accommodated opposition governors Charles Soludo and Ademola Adeleke.

Opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), have also delayed constituting their campaign councils amid internal negotiations and disagreements.

The ADC suffered a setback when Prof. Kingsley Moghalu declined an appointment to Atiku Abubakar’s campaign council, citing lack of prior consultation.

Seventeen opposition parties have fielded presidential candidates, even as negotiations for a consensus candidate continue to complicate campaign arrangements.

Phrank Shaibu, ADC Presidential Campaign Council Director of Strategic Communications, said Atiku would campaign across all 36 states and the FCT. However, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said the ADC was not in a hurry to commence rallies.

Some analysts attribute the delay to funding constraints, opposition coalition talks, internal disputes and rising rally costs, which have pushed some candidates towards town halls, television appearances and social media campaigns.

Chief Chekwas Okorie, former presidential candidate, said opposition parties might be adopting different campaign strategies, including managing resources by prioritising town hall meetings and stakeholder engagements over expensive rallies.

In a telephone interview with BusinessDay, Okorie said rallies and billboards had never been decisive factors in determining electoral outcomes, arguing that many ordinary voters had little time to attend political gatherings.

He cited Peter Obi’s town hall meetings and grassroots engagements as an alternative mobilisation strategy, adding that the effectiveness of the different approaches would ultimately be determined by the election.

Ini Ememobong, PDP factional National Publicity Secretary, said the party had adopted cost-effective mobilisation strategies, while Ken Asogwa of the LP said the party would rely on grassroots structures and organised labour.

Araba Rufus Ayenigba of the SDP said consultations were ongoing towards nationwide campaigns.
Meanwhile, credible sources told BusinessDay that the NDC was preparing its campaign timetable, while the APM plans to unveil its manifesto on Wednesday, November 4, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The APC

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has already taken its 2027 presidential campaign to Kaduna, Cross River and Gombe states, with the ruling party scheduled to move to Nasarawa State on Wednesday, November 4, as it intensifies mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

The party flagged off its campaign activities in Kaduna on October 24 before staging rallies in Cross River on November 2 and Gombe on November 3. From Nasarawa, the APC is expected to move to Ekiti on November 5, Rivers on November 7, Ebonyi on November 9, Jigawa on November 10, Ondo on November 11, Edo on November 12 and Plateau on November 14.

The campaign trail will subsequently move to Yobe on November 16, Kebbi on November 17, Akwa Ibom on November 18, Anambra on November 19 and Oyo on November 21, before proceeding to Borno on November 25, Enugu on November 28, Bauchi on November 29 and Benue on November 30.

In December, the ruling party is scheduled to hold rallies in Katsina on December 2, Ogun on December 3, Sokoto on December 5, Abia on December 7, Kogi on December 8, Osun on December 9, Kwara on December 10 and Delta on December 12.

Other destinations for the month include Zamfara on December 14, Bayelsa on December 15, Niger on December 16, Kano on December 17, Taraba on December 19, the Federal Capital Territory on December 21 and Imo on December 30.

The campaign is expected to resume in January 2027 with a rally in Adamawa on January 4 before culminating in Lagos on January 9.
The proposed itinerary covers all 36 states and the FCT, although Tinubu is expected to personally attend 12 designated rallies, with other APC leaders coordinating campaigns in the remaining locations.

President Tinubu is expected to personally attend APC presidential campaign rallies in 12 states. Having already attended the Kaduna rally, he is expected to participate in rallies in the remaining 11 states. – Rivers, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos, while other party leaders are expected to lead campaign activities in the remaining states and the Federal Capital Territory.

However, the party said the schedule remains subject to adjustments.