Coalition Names 14-Member Board of Trustees, National Directorate and Regional Coordinators
By Joy Omagha Idam
A political coalition known as Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) has unveiled an extensive organisational structure ahead of the 2027 general elections, bringing together political figures and strategists drawn from across Nigeria’s northern states.
The coalition, according to a statement issued by its Head of Media Relations, Comrade Edwin Olofu, said the structure is designed to coordinate its activities across the North-West, North-East and North-Central geopolitical zones, as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
At the apex of the organisation is a 14-member Board of Trustees, which will provide strategic direction for the coalition.
The Board will be chaired by former Kano State Governor and former Minister of Education, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau.
He will be supported as deputy chairman by former Yobe State Governor and current Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Geidam, alongside former Plateau State Governor and Senator representing Plateau South, Barrister Simon Bako Lalong.
Other members listed on the Board of Trustees are Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari; Senator Joshua Dariye; Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd); Senator Aliyu Wamakko; former Minister Isa Yuguda; former Taraba State Governor Rev. Jolly Nyame; Senator Atiku Bagudu; former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello; Hajia Aishatu Dukku; Hajia Binta Ibrahim, FCAI, ARPA; and former Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
Badaru Abubakar is also designated as Secretary of the Board, with Engineer Abubakar Gambo serving as his assistant.
Beyond the Board of Trustees, the coalition has established a National Directorate to handle its day-to-day political and organisational operations.
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar is named Director-General of the National Directorate. In that capacity, he is expected to coordinate the coalition’s overall campaign strategy, supervise its activities across the 19 northern states and the FCT, and provide oversight for the various directorates at the national headquarters.
Three Deputy National Coordinators have also been appointed to provide regional coordination.
They are Barrister Ibrahim Shema for the North-West, Yahaya Bello for the North-Central and Honourable Abdulrazaq Namdas for the North-East.
The coalition has further divided its operations into specialised directorates covering finance, logistics, communications, mobilisation, youth affairs, professional groups, religious communities, civil society, parliamentary mobilisation, research and strategy, among others.
The Finance and Resource Mobilisation Directorate will be headed by Dr. Bala Wunti, with Abdulrahman Leme as deputy.
For Operations and Logistics, the coalition named Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura as director, with Major-General A.T. Jibril (rtd) as deputy.
The Communications and Media Strategy Directorate will be headed by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, assisted by Jibrin Baba Ndace as deputy. Edwin Olofu will serve as Head of Media Relations within the same directorate.
The Mobilisation Directorate will be led by Barrister Ismail Ahmed, with Honourable Michael Msuaan as deputy.
The coalition also created a dedicated Youth Affairs Directorate, to be headed by Engineer Abba Aliyu, with Comrade Murtala Gamji serving as deputy.
For the business and professional community, Senator Sani Musa has been named director, assisted by Dr. Shamsuddeen Ahmad.
The Religious Community Directorate will be headed by Malam Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammad, with Honourable Abubakar Jallo and Reverend Yakubu Pam serving as deputies.
The coalition’s Eminent Personalities and Civil Servants Mobilisation Directorate will be headed by Malam Jalal Arabi, mni, with Sanusi Musa, SAN, as deputy.
In the area of civil society engagement, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda has been appointed director, assisted by Honourable Yusuf Capt. Buba.
The Parliamentary Mobilisation Directorate will be headed by Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, with Honourable Ahmed Alhaji Satomi as deputy.
The coalition has also established a Research and Strategy Directorate, to be headed by Bashir Dabo, with Honourable Engineer Bello Lawal serving as deputy.
The unveiling of the structure marks another organisational step by the Arewa for Asiwaju coalition as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections continue to take shape.
By creating separate structures for regional coordination, grassroots mobilisation, youth engagement, professional groups, religious communities, civil society and parliamentary outreach, the coalition says it intends to build a coordinated platform across the northern political landscape.
The group’s stated objective is to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while its newly announced leadership structure places experienced political figures at both the strategic and operational levels of the organisation.
With the campaign structure now announced, attention is expected to shift to how the various directorates translate the coalition’s organisational framework into activities at the state, local government and grassroots levels.