Paul Ibe, media adviser to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has supported calls for legal action against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State over their inclusion in President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign council.
Ibe expressed his position on Friday, October 16, 2026, following the decision by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to appoint the three politicians, despite their affiliations with other political parties, to coordinate campaign activities in their respective areas.
Reacting to the proposed legal challenge in a post on his X account, Ibe wrote, “That is the way to go,” signalling his support for efforts to seek judicial clarification on the appointments.
He argued that political officeholders should remain accountable to the constitutions and rules of their respective parties, regardless of their positions or influence.
Ibe Questions Party Loyalty
The Atiku aide challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to explain the constitutional basis for Wike’s participation in the APC campaign council.
He also called on the Accord Party to clarify the circumstances surrounding Adeleke’s appointment, particularly because the party is participating in the 2027 electoral process.
Similarly, Ibe questioned the authority under which Soludo, a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was participating in the ruling party’s presidential campaign structure.
He maintained that the courts should determine whether politicians can actively support the presidential ambitions of another party without violating the rules governing their own political organisations.
APC Appoints Opposition Figures to Campaign Council
The controversy followed the APC’s announcement of its revised Presidential Campaign Council, which included Wike, Adeleke and Soludo as coordinators for the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State, Osun State, and Anambra State, respectively.
Wike remains associated with the PDP, Soludo belongs to APGA, while Adeleke is affiliated with the Accord Party.
The appointments were part of the APC’s preparations for Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general election.
The three politicians subsequently attended the inauguration of the presidential campaign council in Abuja on Wednesday, October 14.
Wike has defended the arrangement, explaining that Tinubu’s re-election campaign is intended to accommodate supporters beyond the APC’s formal membership. He argued that politicians from other parties could contribute to the President’s campaign without necessarily defecting to the ruling party.
Opposition Raises Concerns Over Political Alliances
The appointments have generated debate over party loyalty, political alliances and the boundaries between individual political support and formal party participation.
The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council has criticised the inclusion of opposition figures in the APC campaign structure, alleging that the development could weaken multiparty democracy. These allegations remain the ADC’s political position.
However, the PDP, APGA and Accord have expressed support for the participation of their respective members in Tinubu’s campaign council, according to separate media reports.
The proposed legal action could provide an opportunity for the courts to clarify whether the appointments raise any constitutional or party-rule concerns.
As preparations for the 2027 elections continue, the controversy highlights the competing interpretations of political affiliation, individual support for candidates and the obligations party members owe to their organisations.
