President Bola Tinubu has ordered a review of the list of members proposed for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections, following concerns over alleged omissions, questionable inclusions and other irregularities in the composition.

The development has delayed the inauguration of the council as the Presidency moves to fine-tune the membership before the campaign structure is formally unveiled.

Recall that Tinubu chairs the council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, were listed as Vice Chairmen I and II respectively.

Former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, was named as Director-General, while Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, was designated as Secretary.

However, sources within the Presidency and the APC said the leadership arrangement is not expected to change, with the review focused mainly on the membership of the council.

According to one of the sources, the decision to revisit the list followed concerns that some of the names included could create unnecessary controversy for the ruling party during the election campaign, while other politically experienced figures were left out.

“Everything is being done in the Villa, but we are aware that the list is being reviewed due to the concerns raised about the inclusion of names of some people who are not supposed to be there and the exclusion of those that would add value to the campaign.

“But that should be expected in politics as lots of interests are involved,” the source said.

The review reportedly centres on three major issues: the inclusion of individuals facing allegations of financial impropriety, the exclusion of prominent party members with previous campaign experience and the omission of some names due to administrative errors.

Among those whose inclusion has reportedly generated concerns are former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, and former Chairperson of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) board, Ngozi Olejeme.

Edu was listed as Director of Women Mobilisation, while Olejeme was named South-South Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation.

Both women have previously faced allegations relating to financial impropriety in connection with their former public offices.

Another inclusion that has raised questions is that of the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacheus Adedeji, who was listed as Deputy Director of Fundraising.

Sources said the sensitivity of his current official position could make his involvement in the campaign structure inappropriate.

The review is also expected to address the omission of several party figures considered valuable to the campaign because of their previous political and electoral experience.

Those reportedly falling into this category include Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), who served as spokesman and Director of Public Affairs of the 2023 campaign council.

Former Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who served as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 election, is also among those whose absence has reportedly attracted attention.

Former governors and APC figures such as Yahaya Bello, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun were also said to have been expected to feature prominently in the campaign structure.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, as well as some senators expected to serve in state campaign offices, were reportedly omitted as a result of oversight.

There have also been questions over the absence of Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, from the initial list despite his support for the Tinubu administration.

A former member of the 2023 campaign council said reviewing the list before inauguration was not unusual, noting that the initial campaign council list for the 2023 election was also recalled and adjusted after concerns were raised over its composition.