BY AHMED TURUR
The decision by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to replace Beta Edu as Director of Women Mobilisation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign organisation has sparked renewed debate over the administration’s political strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
While the move has been applauded by some observers as a step towards strengthening the party’s campaign machinery, it has also raised questions about the President’s commitment to political inclusion, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Beta Edu, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, was suspended amid allegations surrounding suspicious financial transactions. The controversy has remained in the public domain, with various groups questioning her credibility and suitability to play a prominent role in mobilising support for President Tinubu ahead of the next election.
Although the President’s decision to replace Edu has attracted commendation in some quarters, it has also opened a fresh conversation about his political intentions towards the North, a region whose electoral strength could prove decisive in determining the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
For some time, the Tinubu administration has faced criticism over what some Northern stakeholders perceive as inadequate representation in federal appointments and an uneven distribution of resources and development projects.
These concerns have fueled discontent among sections of the Northern electorate, with some political voices threatening to withdraw their support from the administration if their grievances remain unaddressed. Against this backdrop, the appointment of a new Director of Women Mobilisation for the APC campaign organisation has become a subject of considerable interest.
Some Northern women and political stakeholders are reportedly questioning why the position was not given to a candidate from the region, particularly given the significant role women play in grassroots mobilisation and electoral participation.
For these stakeholders, Edu’s removal presented an opportunity for the APC to demonstrate its commitment to regional inclusion by appointing a Northern woman to the position. The failure to meet that expectation could deepen existing concerns about political representation and reinforce perceptions that the North is not receiving adequate recognition within the ruling party.
The stakes are particularly high because women constitute an important segment of the electorate and play a vital role in shaping voting patterns through community engagement, grassroots mobilisation and political advocacy. Any perception of exclusion among Northern women could therefore pose a challenge to the APC’s efforts to consolidate its support base ahead of 2027.
With the presidential campaign expected to commence in Kaduna, attention is increasingly focused on how Northern women and their political representatives will respond to the unfolding developments. Their reaction could provide an early indication of the mood within an important segment of the electorate.
Ultimately, the question facing the Tinubu administration is whether it can address concerns about representation and inclusion before they translate into electoral discontent.
As the road to 2027 gathers momentum, the APC may need to do more than make strategic appointments; it may also need to demonstrate, through its decisions and policies, that Northern voters and women in particular have a meaningful place in its political calculations.
Whether these concerns will influence Northern women’s voting decisions in 2027 remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that perceptions of fairness, recognition and inclusion could play a significant role in determining the political choices of this crucial constituency.
– Ahmed Tukur writes from Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital
