2027: We’re Not Seeking Traditional Rulers’ Political Endorsement But Prayers, Blessings – APC-PCC DG Yari
The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council(APC-PCC), Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has declared that the council’s engagement with traditional institutions is not to solicit political…
With the 2027 general election still some way off, the ruling All Progressives Congress has begun early groundwork for President Bola Tinubu's expected re-election bid, including a push to engage Nigeria's traditional institutions. Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a former Zamfara governor now serving as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), leads this outreach, which has seen the council pay courtesy visits to monarchs and traditional rulers across the country.
Traditional rulers in Nigeria wield no formal political power under the constitution but retain significant moral and cultural influence over their communities, making them frequent targets of political courtship ahead of elections. Such visits have historically drawn scrutiny, since royal fathers are expected to remain neutral custodians of their domains rather than partisan actors. Yari's clarification that the APC-PCC is seeking prayers and blessings rather than endorsements appears aimed at pre-empting criticism that the ruling party is attempting to drag traditional institutions into partisan politics well ahead of the 2027 polls.