2027: How APC became the galacticos of Nigeria’s politics – by Seye Oladejo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) is steadily consolidating its position as the epicentre of Nigeria’s political gravity, attracting an impressive constellation of veteran statesmen, battle-tested politicians, seasoned administrators, strategic thinkers, and influential political figures from across the country. As the 2027 general elections approach, the APC increasingly resembles the legendary Galácticos of football-a star-studded assembly of exceptional talents whose combined strengths create a formidable force.

This is no ordinary gathering of political heavyweights. It represents the convergence of experience, political capital, grassroots networks, institutional influence, and electoral machinery under a platform with national reach. The APC’s growing attraction is driven by two unmistakable forces: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s barrier-breaking brand of politics and an opposition weakened by internal contradictions, strategic ineptitude, and an inability to articulate a coherent alternative.

Tinubu: The Architect of a New Political Gravity

President Tinubu’s political career has been distinguished by his capacity to identify talent, build alliances, nurture political relationships, and bring competing interests into a common political project. His approach recognises that sustainable political power requires more than personal loyalty; it demands the ability to accommodate differences, negotiate competing ambitions, and unite individuals around shared objectives.

From his years of political organisation and institution-building to his emergence as President, Tinubu has consistently demonstrated an understanding of political power that transcends conventional boundaries. He recognises that yesterday’s opponents can become tomorrow’s allies and that the ability to build bridges across political divides is a strategic asset.

His administration’s reform agenda and willingness to confront longstanding structural challenges have further placed the APC at the centre of Nigeria’s political discourse. While individual policies remain open to legitimate scrutiny, Tinubu’s capacity to reshape political relationships and draw influential actors into his orbit is difficult to deny.

This is the foundation of the APC’s Galácticos effect: a political leader with the experience, networks, and strategic instincts to attract consequential players while positioning his party as the principal arena for national political engagement.

The Numbers Tell the Story: 31 APC Governors and a Wider Coalition

The scale of this political consolidation is reflected in the APC’s gubernatorial strength. With 31 governors elected on its platform, the party commands an extensive network of state-level political structures, grassroots organisations, and experienced campaign operatives.

These governors are more than prominent names. They represent political institutions, local networks, and mobilisation capacity across a substantial portion of the federation. Their collective influence provides the APC with an important organisational advantage as the 2027 presidential election approaches.

Yet, President Tinubu’s political reach extends beyond the ruling party.

Prominent figures from other political platforms have taken on responsibilities in his re-election campaign, illustrating the emergence of a broader electoral alignment. Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, elected on the Accord platform, has been named coordinator of Tinubu’s presidential campaign in Osun. Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, elected on the platform of APGA, has been assigned a coordinating role in Anambra. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a prominent PDP figure, has also been assigned campaign responsibilities in Rivers State and the FCT. These appointments were reported in the APC’s revised presidential campaign structure announced in October 2026.

Their participation does not mean that their respective parties have merged with the APC. Rather, it demonstrates Tinubu’s capacity to build working relationships across party lines and bring influential political actors into a common campaign undertaking without requiring uniformity of party affiliation.

The wider constellation includes Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, serving and former governors, ministers, legislators, party chieftains, and experienced campaign strategists. The North-Central APC’s October 2026 endorsement of Tinubu and Shettima further illustrates the party’s efforts to consolidate its regional and national support base.

Thirty-one APC governors, influential cross-party allies, and an extensive network of political heavyweights: the scale of this coalition is a substantial feature of the political landscape ahead of 2027.

The significance lies not simply in the number of prominent figures involved but in the possibility of combining their experience, constituencies, and organisational capabilities into a coordinated electoral effort.

The Galácticos Effect: When political heavyweights find a common home

The APC’s growing attraction reflects a fundamental truth about democratic politics: experienced politicians gravitate towards platforms that offer credible opportunities for participation, influence, and electoral relevance.

Veteran politicians contribute institutional memory; former officeholders bring administrative experience; grassroots mobilisers offer established networks; and strategists understand the practical demands of electoral competition. When these strengths are properly coordinated, they can produce a formidable political organisation.

The APC’s expanding constellation of influential figures reinforces its position as a platform around which consequential political calculations are being made. Its attraction extends beyond those seeking elective office to individuals who understand the importance of participating in a viable national political project.

However, the party must recognise that assembling stars is only the beginning. Its real advantage will depend on its ability to integrate new entrants, manage competing ambitions, respect longstanding members, and translate political influence into effective governance and electoral mobilisation.

The opposition’s challenge is therefore not merely to identify prominent personalities of its own. It must demonstrate that it can assemble them into a cohesive, disciplined, and credible alternative.

An opposition that agrees on Tinubu but disagrees on almost everything else

While the APC has been strengthening its political appeal, much of the opposition has been consumed by leadership contests, personality clashes, ideological inconsistencies, and disagreements over platforms, power-sharing, and candidate selection.

Nigeria certainly has no shortage of opposition politicians with national recognition, substantial followings, and extensive political experience. The problem is their persistent inability to transform these individual assets into a durable coalition built around a common vision of governance.

Too often, declarations of unity are followed by renewed disputes over who should lead, whose ambition should take precedence, and which political platform should provide the vehicle for their collective aspirations.

The irony is unmistakable. Politicians who claim to be united by the urgent need to rescue Nigeria frequently struggle to agree on the basic terms of their own cooperation.

They can find common ground when criticising President Tinubu, but their cohesion becomes elusive when the conversation turns to leadership, candidate selection, power-sharing, party structures, and a shared electoral strategy.

They agree on Tinubu; they disagree on almost everything else.

A shared dislike of an incumbent is not a governing philosophy. A collection of presidential ambitions is not a coalition. Nor does assembling a list of famous politicians automatically produce an electoral machine capable of winning a national contest.

While Tinubu’s political approach has demonstrated a capacity to accommodate competing interests within a broader campaign framework, opposition leaders continue to grapple with the challenge of reconciling personal ambitions with collective objectives.

This is the opposition’s central strategic weakness: it has spent too much time anticipating the ruling party’s difficulties and too little time resolving its own.

Political Complacency Is No Substitute for Electoral Strategy

The opposition’s difficulties are compounded by the assumption that economic hardship, public dissatisfaction, and criticism of government policies will automatically translate into electoral victory.

That assumption is politically naïve.

Elections are won through organisation, persuasion, credible candidates, national reach, grassroots mobilisation, coalition management, and a convincing programme for governance. Public discontent may create an opportunity, but it does not determine which party will benefit from it.

The APC understands the importance of political organisation. Its established party structures, network of governors, experienced campaigners, and relationships across different political constituencies provide significant resources for electoral engagement.

The opposition, by contrast, has too frequently treated the prospect of an APC defeat as a substitute for the hard work of building its own winning coalition.

This is the difference between a party preparing to win and an opposition merely hoping that its opponent will lose.

For all its rhetoric about a new political dawn, the opposition must first demonstrate that it can manage its own political household before asking Nigerians to entrust it with the affairs of the nation.

2027: More Than a Parade of Famous Names

The APC’s emerging Galácticos profile presents both a strategic advantage and a responsibility. Its combination of gubernatorial influence, experienced politicians, cross-party allies, and grassroots structures provides a substantial foundation for the coming campaign.

Nevertheless, endorsements do not automatically translate into votes, and political celebrity cannot substitute for performance. The ultimate test of leadership remains the quality of governance, the effectiveness of public policy, the improvement of citizens’ welfare, and the confidence Nigerians place in the party’s vision for the country.

President Tinubu’s administration will be judged on its ability to sustain reforms, address economic pressures, strengthen public confidence, and demonstrate that its policy choices can deliver a more productive and prosperous Nigeria.

The APC must equally resist complacency. It must translate its political advantage into effective mobilisation, communicate its achievements honestly, acknowledge areas requiring improvement, and engage citizens on the issues that matter most to them.

A successful Galácticos model requires more than individual brilliance. It demands teamwork, discipline, strategic coordination, and a shared commitment to a common objective.

A Gathering of Political Strength, Not a Coalition of Convenience

The emerging political configuration ahead of 2027 presents a striking contrast between a ruling party consolidating its national platform and opposition forces still wrestling with fundamental questions of leadership, structure, and purpose.

The APC’s attraction reflects both Tinubu’s distinctive coalition-building capacity and the opposition’s failure to establish a sufficiently coherent alternative. The presence of 31 APC governors, prominent cross-party figures in the President’s campaign structure, and an extensive network of political veterans gives the ruling party considerable organisational and political resources.

But the real test will be whether this strength translates into credible governance and electoral success. Political alignments must be sustained by common objectives, while the party’s appeal must ultimately be validated by voters.

The 2027 election will not be decided by famous names alone. It will be determined by organisation, performance, persuasion, credibility, and the competing visions Nigerians believe can best serve their future.

For now, the APC is consolidating its political assets while the opposition continues to struggle with the contradictions of its own making.

The question confronting the opposition is no longer simply whether it can criticise President Tinubu. It is whether it can produce a united, organised, and electorally competitive alternative to a ruling party whose political network extends beyond its traditional boundaries.

The APC is assembling the stars, strengthening its structures, and widening its coalition. The opposition is still negotiating with itself.

In football, a team of superstars must prove its worth on the pitch. In politics, the ultimate verdict belongs to the electorate. But as the road to 2027 unfolds, the APC is positioning itself with a depth of political experience, organisational reach, and coalition-building capacity that its opponents cannot afford to underestimate.

The APC is preparing for the contest. The opposition must first decide what kind of contest it wants to fight-and with whom.

Mogaji (Hon) Oladejo, Spokesman for the
Lagos APC