The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled its 2027 presidential campaign manifesto, outlining President Bola Tinubu’s priorities for a second term, with national security, improved living standards, economic growth and accountable governance at the centre of its agenda.
At the unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday, the party pledged to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by recruiting an additional 28,000 military personnel and 50,000 police officers if Tinubu wins the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The manifesto also promises to complete and equip four new Army divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, while sustaining intelligence-led operations against insurgents and kidnapping networks.
To tackle criminal activities in forests and farming communities, the APC plans to deploy trained Forest Guards, Agro-Rangers and Mining Marshals to protect agricultural belts, grazing routes, forest reserves and mineral deposits.
Presenting the party’s policy direction under the theme, “Transiting from Reforms to Shared Prosperity”, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and Deputy Director of the campaign council’s Directorate of Manifesto and Policy Development, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the administration would work towards making Nigeria a country where citizens could pursue their ambitions without fear.
The manifesto rests on four pillars: a secure and resilient nation; a better quality and more affordable life for Nigerians; energy, infrastructure and economic growth; and effective and accountable governance. These are linked to the eight priority areas of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Among its targets for 2031 are increasing electricity generation towards 10,000 megawatts, achieving annual economic growth of six per cent, halving youth unemployment and the number of out-of-school children, and expanding health insurance coverage to 40 per cent of Nigerians.
The party also promised to recruit 20,000 additional teachers, make at least 90 per cent of primary healthcare facilities functional, facilitate the construction of 200,000 homes and install seven million additional electricity meters.
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, urged Nigerians to assess the APC based on its performance since 2023. While acknowledging that the reforms had placed pressure on households, he defended the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms, arguing that inaction would have worsened the country’s economic challenges.
Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, described Tinubu’s reforms as unprecedented, challenging critics to identify any previous Nigerian leader who had undertaken comparable economic restructuring.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, admitted that more needed to be done to ensure ordinary Nigerians felt the benefits of economic growth.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris cited the 1.6 million beneficiaries of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, declining inflation and improved security on major highways as evidence of progress.
The APC also pledged to publish measurable targets, identify officials responsible for delivery and regularly report progress to the public, insisting that its 2027 re-election bid would be judged by its promises and performance.
