APC campaign council visits Ibadan and Oyo traditional rulers for 2027 re‑election push

Royal audience in Ibadan and Oyo The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council travelled to Oyo State on Thursday, 16 October 2026, to seek the endorsement of two of the state’s most senior traditional rulers. At the Olubadan’s palace in Oke‑Aremo, Ibadan, the delegation was received by Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland. A separate meeting was held later at the palace in Oyo town with Oba Akeem Owoade, the Alaafin of Oyo.

Council leadership and composition The delegation was headed by the council’s Director‑General, identified in the reports as Abubakar Yari in one account and Abdulaziz Yari in another. The team included a number of former state governors – Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Ali Modu Sheriff (Borno), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) – as well as other party officials, ministers, special advisers to the president and senior APC chieftains. Among the political figures present were Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the APC governorship candidate for Oyo State, and his campaign director Yemi Aderibigbe. Members of the Olubadan‑in‑Council and local market women also attended the visits.

Purpose of the visits Both Yari statements, quoted in the coverage, stressed that the council’s mission required the prayers and blessings of traditional rulers to succeed. He noted that the campaign council had been inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu on the preceding Wednesday and that Ibadan was chosen as the first stop, underscoring the city’s historical significance to the party’s leadership. Yari added that President Tinubu had directed the council to meet traditional rulers across the country as part of the effort to secure his re‑election on 16 January 2027 and a second term inauguration slated for 29 May 2027.

Campaign narrative According to the council’s spokesperson, the APC’s campaign would focus on the achievements of Tinubu’s first term and outline plans for a second term. He claimed that the national economy was on a positive trajectory, a view he said was confirmed by an international survey, though the specific survey details were not provided in the reports.

Context The visits come as political parties intensify outreach ahead of the 2027 general elections. While the reports consistently describe the purpose as seeking royal blessings, they differ on the spelling of the vice‑president’s name – cited as Kashim Shettima in one source and Kassim Shitima in another – and on the exact form of the Director‑General’s name, reflecting minor editorial variations across outlets.