By: Destiny Young | July 27/5/2025
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 general elections by launching a large-scale membership registration campaign and setting ambitious targets in key battlegrounds. No fewer than 11 state chapters have publicly pledged to deliver a combined 15 million votes to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, with party leaders focusing on grassroots expansion and targeted mobilisation efforts.
Strategic Membership Drive Across the Country
Recent party meetings have showcased APC’s directive to increase its membership base through mass registration, utilising both manual and newly rolled-out electronic portals. States such as Ebonyi, Delta, Enugu, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, and Akwa Ibom have already commenced the registration drive, inviting old and new members to join seamlessly from their homes. Party ward and local government leaderships have been tasked to ensure an inclusive and bureaucracy-free process.
Leadership’s Mobilisation Push
Addressing the APC National Executive Committee at the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu underscored the importance of widening the party’s national reach and integrating defectors from opposition parties. The new national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, echoed this sentiment, promising to unite the party and embrace new recruits, including recent high-profile defectors such as the governors of Delta and Akwa Ibom States.
Votes Promised in Key States
A significant portion of the mobilization effort comes from the North Central zone, where the APC’s regional forum has guaranteed six million votes in appreciation of the return of the party’s chairmanship to the zone. Other notable state-by-state promises include:
- Akwa Ibom: The local APC expects 3.5 million votes for Tinubu, buoyed by recent mass defections from opposition parties.
- Edo: APC leadership, strengthened by new defections and a burgeoning membership base, is targeting 2.5 million votes.
- Benue: The state chapter has pledged two million votes after committing to register five million members.
- Oyo and Ekiti: These two states are aiming for a combined 1.2 million votes, with Oyo seeking to double its previous performance and Ekiti aiming to at least double its 2023 result.
Ongoing Registration Efforts and Political Realignments
Delta and Akwa Ibom states report thousands of new registrants, partly due to entire opposition structures defecting to the APC. In Bayelsa and Enugu, local leaders await final directives from the party’s National Working Committee to formally launch their digital registration platforms.
Across the South-West, state party chapters are mobilising through both traditional grassroots means and extensive digital campaigns, seeking not only to bolster vote numbers but also to consolidate the party’s dominance against growing threats from newly-coalesced opposition coalitions.
Summary
The APC’s aggressive expansion drive and ambitious voting targets form the centrepiece of its preparations for 2027, as it seeks to solidify its electoral base and outflank competitors by welcoming defectors, streamlining membership, and expanding grassroots operations.
