The recent unveiling of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress has left members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors uncertain about their place in the party’s campaign structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development followed the appointment of Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who previously served as Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, as secretary of the newly constituted Presidential Campaign Council.
President Bola Tinubu had last week announced the campaign council with former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General and Uzodinma as secretary.
The new arrangement has, however, raised questions among RHA coordinators across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory over whether the organisation will continue to operate independently or become part of the PCC.
Party sources said the uncertainty had unsettled RHA coordinators, particularly because no clear directive had been issued by the Presidency on the organisation’s status under the new campaign arrangement.
One APC source said, “With the inclusion of Senator Uzodinma in the PCC, it appears that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors have been dissolved,” suggesting that structures created by the group to mobilise support for Tinubu could soon be dismantled.
The source expressed concern that such a move could affect an organisation that had established a grassroots network extending to polling units, wards and local government areas across the country.
Another party source argued that replacing the existing grassroots arrangement with a structure centred largely on governors and governorship candidates could create organisational difficulties in some states.
“For instance, in a state like Oyo where there is no APC governor, the APC candidate needs to be reconciled with members and leaders of the party first; it would look awkward to have the same candidate now leading the campaign,” the source stated.
The source further maintained that a clearer division between the central campaign council and state-level mobilisation could prove more effective for the party.
“What would have augured well for the party is to have presidential and governorship campaigns coordinated by a separate structure like the RHA in the states while the PCC coordinates things from the centre in Abuja,” the source added.
The uncertainty has persisted despite the fact that Uzodinma’s new position places him at the heart of the PCC, creating an overlap between his previous responsibility with the RHA and his current assignment within the campaign council.
However, presidential aide Temitope Ajayi urged those speculating about the future of the RHA to wait for the formal inauguration and commencement of the PCC’s activities.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune by telephone, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity cautioned against reaching a conclusion before the campaign council becomes operational.
“We wait for the campaign council to be operationalised first,” Ajayi said.
“Yes, it has been announced; let’s wait until it is inaugurated,” he added.
Ajayi also pointed to Uzodinma’s dual connection to the two structures as a reason for withholding judgment on what would eventually happen to the RHA.
“Don’t forget that Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is the Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, is the secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council. We will just wait and see how everything takes shape after the inauguration,” he said.
For now, the position of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors remains unclear, with party members awaiting the inauguration of the PCC for a clearer indication of how the existing grassroots structure will fit into the APC’s broader campaign machinery.
