2027: Tinubu Names Keyamo, FAAN, NAMA Chiefs to APC Campaign Air Mobilisation Team

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo to head the All Progressives Congress (APC) Directorate of Air Mobilisation for the party’s 2027 re-election campaign, with the heads of two federal aviation agencies named as his deputies.

Under the reported arrangement, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, will serve as Deputy Director I, while the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Ahmed Umar, will serve as Deputy Director II.

The appointments were announced in a statement issued on Sunday, October 25, by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Aviation Minister.

The directorate is expected to coordinate air travel arrangements for designated campaign officials and personnel, as well as plan aviation logistics for political activities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

According to the statement, the team will work with other campaign structures to organise travel schedules, coordinate stakeholders and ensure the efficient deployment of logistical resources during the electioneering period.

The statement said the arrangement was designed to address the travel demands of a nationwide presidential campaign, particularly where party officials would need to visit multiple locations within tight schedules.

Keyamo’s appointment places a serving member of the Federal Executive Council at the head of the ruling party’s campaign air-mobilisation structure. The inclusion of the managing directors of FAAN and NAMA also brings the leadership of two federal aviation agencies into the directorate.

Their involvement raises questions about how the officials will balance their campaign responsibilities with their public offices, particularly in maintaining a clear distinction between partisan activities and the administration of government institutions.

The statement acknowledged the need for that separation, saying the directorate’s operations would be subject to applicable aviation regulations and electoral laws.

It also stated that campaign-related arrangements should be undertaken through properly authorised channels and that the directorate would work with other campaign structures to ensure effective coordination.

The announcement comes as the APC prepares for the 2027 general election. Tinubu inaugurated the party’s Presidential Campaign Council on October 14, charging its members and party leaders to work together ahead of the polls.

The funding arrangements for the directorate’s activities and the specific operational procedures governing the participation of the appointed officials were not detailed in the announcement reviewed for this report.