APC Reacts as Tinubu's Opponent Seeks to Use Aso Rock

• APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru dismissed Omoyele Sowore's plan to launch his campaign council at the Presidential Villa
• Basiru challenged Sowore to first win a seat in a state House of Assembly before pursuing a presidential bid
• The APC national secretary also defended Tinubu's re-election prospects, citing the party's 12.8 million members and recent election results

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has described Omoyele Sowore's presidential aspirations as a political comedy, saying the human rights activist's request to launch his campaign council at the Presidential Villa was never going to receive approval.

Basiru spoke on Channels Television's Politics Today programme while reacting to reports that Sowore had written to the Presidency seeking permission to use the Presidential Villa for the launch. He said Sowore, whom he described as a fellow former student union activist, was fully aware that no such request would be granted.

The APC national secretary went further to challenge Sowore to demonstrate genuine political support by first contesting and winning a seat in a state House of Assembly before laying claim to a presidential ambition.

Basiru on Sowore's political strength

Basiru called Sowore a comedian and said his presidential bid should not be taken seriously. He argued that without a visible grassroots structure or electoral record at any level of government, Sowore's campaign lacked credibility.

The remarks came as the APC national secretary also pushed back against suggestions that the ruling party had lost its grip on northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections. He pointed to the party's control of most state governments in the region and its performance in elections held since 2023 as proof that its political base remained intact.

APC confident ahead of 2027

Basiru put the party's current membership at 12.8 million, arguing that no opposition party could match the APC's organisational reach across the country.

On the economy, he said headline inflation dropped from 15.63 per cent in August to 14.63 per cent in September, and presented the figures as a sign that economic conditions under President Bola Tinubu were improving.

Basiru expressed confidence that Tinubu would secure a second term in office in 2027, dismissing the notion that the administration had lost public support.

See the video of Basiru's interview on X here:

Kwankwaso receives former APC leader

Legit.ng earlier reported that a fresh wave of defections to the NDC hit on Saturday, October 11, 2026, as a former APC leader from Kumbotso LGA joined the party.

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the NDC's Vice Presidential Candidate, hosted the defecting official at his Kano residence.

A media aide to Kwankwaso shared a video of the event on X, signalling growing momentum for the NDC ahead of 2027.