The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled a four-pillar manifesto for the 2027 general election, placing national security at the centre of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election agenda and promising to recruit 78,000 additional military and police personnel.
The manifesto, titled From Reforms to Prosperity, outlines the party’s proposed priorities for a second Tinubu administration, with commitments spanning security, economic growth, infrastructure, social welfare and governance.
Unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday, the document promises to recruit 28,000 additional military personnel and 50,000 police officers to strengthen the country’s security architecture and tackle insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said the proposed recruitment would be accompanied by the completion and equipping of four new Army divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City.
The party also pledged to sustain intelligence-led military operations against insurgents and kidnapping networks, while deploying trained Forest Guards, Agro-Rangers and Mining Marshals to protect agricultural communities, grazing routes, forest reserves and mineral deposits.
The security commitments come amid persistent concerns over terrorism, banditry, mass abductions and attacks on farming communities across several parts of the country.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, who is Deputy Director of the APC-PCC Directorate of Manifesto and Policy Development, said the administration intended to make Nigeria a country where citizens could pursue their ambitions without fear.
The four pillars of the manifesto are a secure and resilient nation; improved quality of life and affordability for Nigerians; energy, infrastructure and economic growth; and effective and accountable governance.
These are linked to the eight priority areas of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and anchored on four foundations: macroeconomic stability, the rule of law, institutional capability and national cohesion.
APC sets 2031 economic and social targets
Beyond security, the manifesto outlines a series of economic and social development targets to be pursued by 2031.
The party promised to increase electricity generation towards 10,000 megawatts, achieve annual economic growth of six per cent and halve youth unemployment and the number of out-of-school children.
It also pledged to install seven million additional electricity meters, expand health insurance coverage from more than 23 million enrollees to 40 per cent of the population and increase the proportion of functional primary healthcare centres from 53 per cent to at least 90 per cent.
In the housing sector, the APC promised to work towards delivering 200,000 homes through the Tinubu Mass Social Housing Scheme, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and licensed private developers.
The manifesto further commits the government to recruiting 20,000 additional teachers as part of efforts to improve access to education and strengthen the country’s human capital development.
Presidency defends reforms amid hardship
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, described the manifesto as a binding contract between the ruling party and Nigerians, insisting that the administration would be judged by its delivery on the promises.
He acknowledged that the government’s economic reforms had imposed considerable pressure on households but argued that reversing the policies would undermine the country’s long-term economic prospects.
“Nobody should have to pretend that life is easy at the moment,” he said, adding that Nigerians experiencing the economic difficulties deserved to have their concerns heard.
Gbajabiamila defended Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange market, saying the President had confronted structural distortions that previous administrations failed to address.
He argued that leaving the problems unresolved would have continued to weaken the government’s capacity to invest in critical sectors of the economy.
Describing the manifesto as a public accountability framework, he said the government had committed itself to publishing performance targets, identifying officials responsible for delivering them and regularly reporting progress to Nigerians.
He added that the APC would seek another mandate in 2027 on the strength of its record and its proposed development agenda.
Bagudu acknowledges unfinished work
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who chaired the APC 2027 Manifesto Unveiling Committee, acknowledged that the administration had recorded progress but said much remained to be done to ensure that Nigerians felt the benefits of its policies.
He cited discussions at the recent Nigerian Economic Summit, where, according to him, private-sector participants acknowledged progress in the administration’s reform programme.
However, Bagudu said economic improvements would remain incomplete until ordinary Nigerians, particularly workers and vulnerable households, experienced tangible improvements in their living conditions.
He maintained that Tinubu’s decisions were driven by the need to address the country’s economic challenges rather than immediate electoral considerations.
Alake defends Tinubu’s reform record
Minister of Solid Minerals Development and APC Presidential Campaign Council spokesman, Dele Alake, described Tinubu’s removal of petrol subsidy and foreign exchange reforms as courageous decisions taken despite their potential political consequences.
He alleged that powerful interests had benefited from the former subsidy regime and the previous multiple exchange-rate system, arguing that the reforms disrupted entrenched economic privileges.
According to him, some individuals with connections to the Central Bank of Nigeria and senior government officials had exploited access to foreign exchange at preferential official rates to accumulate wealth without contributing meaningfully to production.
Alake said the President had demonstrated the political courage to confront these distortions despite resistance from affected interests.
Presidency cites student loans, infrastructure and security gains
Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, also defended the administration’s performance, citing infrastructure projects, student financing and improvements in security as evidence that the reforms were beginning to produce results.
He pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said had created opportunities for 1.6 million young Nigerians to access university education.
He also cited the Abuja-Kaduna road, arguing that security conditions along the route had improved sufficiently to restore greater confidence among travellers.
Idris further highlighted Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list and declining headline and food inflation as indicators of improving economic conditions.
He appealed to the media to assess the administration’s performance objectively, arguing that national interest should take precedence over political differences.
The APC’s unveiling of the manifesto marks an early attempt to frame the 2027 presidential contest around the Tinubu administration’s reform record and its promise of improved security and economic prosperity.
However, the ambitious targets outlined in the document will ultimately be judged against the administration’s ability to translate its policy commitments into measurable improvements in security, employment, electricity supply, healthcare, education and the cost of living.
