President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has named Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, as Director of the Sports Sector Mobilisation Committee of the 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council.
Dikko is joined in the sports mobilisation structure by the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Hon. Philip Shaibu, and former Super Eagles defender and captain, Joseph Yobo, who were appointed as Deputy Directors of the committee.
The appointments are contained in the membership list of the 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council, which outlines the various directorates and responsibilities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The choice of Dikko to lead the Sports Sector Mobilisation Committee is significant, coming at a time when sports is increasingly being positioned as an important tool for youth engagement, empowerment, national development and political mobilisation. As NSC Chairman, Dikko has been at the centre of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s sports administration and strengthen the sector.
Shaibu, who heads the National Institute for Sports, brings extensive political and administrative experience to the campaign structure, while also having a strong connection with the sporting community. His inclusion gives the committee an additional political voice and institutional experience.
For Yobo, the appointment represents a new opportunity to bring his influence and experience from Nigerian football into a wider national political campaign. The former Super Eagles defender remains one of Nigeria’s most recognisable football personalities and has continued to maintain links with the development of sports and young people.
The composition of the committee suggests that the APC is placing considerable importance on the sports community ahead of the 2027 presidential election. With millions of Nigerian youths actively connected to football, athletics and other sporting disciplines, effective mobilisation within the sector could play an important role in the party’s campaign strategy.
The development also places a major responsibility on Dikko, Shaibu and Yobo to connect the campaign with athletes, administrators, coaches, sports stakeholders and young Nigerians across the country. Their ability to mobilise the sporting community could become an important component of the APC’s broader campaign for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
