Tinubu rules out attending every APC campaign rally

President Bola Tinubu has ruled out attending every campaign event of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election, saying he must balance the demands of electioneering with his responsibilities as Nigeria’s leader.

The President stated this on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, charging its members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation, local government areas and wards.

Tinubu said he agreed with the need to prevent campaign activities from distracting him from governance, stressing that the country required his attention at a time when the government had important financial and economic obligations to fulfil.

“You’ve warned me not to allow the rigour of the campaign to distract me from governance, I hear you. I am in full agreement with your decision. Nigeria needs more attention now,” he said.

Explaining why he might not accompany the campaign council to every event, the President pointed to the government’s financial commitments and international obligations.

“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” Tinubu said.

He also underscored the importance of attracting investors prepared to commit to long-term investments in Nigeria, describing such investments as critical to securing a better future for the country and its younger generation.

“We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children,” he said.

Despite his decision to limit his physical participation in campaign activities, Tinubu assured Nigerians that he would continue to communicate with them directly while the campaign council coordinated the party’s nationwide mobilisation efforts.

“However, I will still make time to speak directly with Nigerians, even as you lead the campaign in the states and local government areas,” he stated.

Describing the inauguration as more than a routine political exercise, the President said it represented a renewed commitment to the Nigerian people and the responsibility entrusted to the ruling party.

“We have not gathered merely to inaugurate a council. We have gathered to renew a covenant. A covenant with Nigerian people and the historic responsibility they have entrusted to us as Nigeria’s governing party,” he said.

Tinubu charged members of the council to effectively communicate his administration’s vision, achievements and policy agenda to voters across the country as the APC prepares for the 2027 general election.

“This council will carry our vision, our records and our agenda to every Nigerian, and it will carry them to victory every ward of this country,” he added.

The President also commended APC members for successfully completing the party’s congresses, recalling predictions that the exercise could trigger an internal crisis.

He said the party had overcome the anticipated challenges and remained united, crediting members for their participation in the process from the ward level to the national leadership.

“They said there will be implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn’t let us down. We got here together,” Tinubu said.

Bar & Bench Watch recalls that ahead of the 2023 general election, Bola Tinubu embarked on an extensive nationwide campaign, personally attending rallies and engaging supporters as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His campaign was built around direct mobilisation, party structures and appeals to voters to entrust him with the presidency.

Having won the election and assumed office in May 2023, Tinubu is approaching the 2027 presidential contest from a different position.

Rather than commit himself to attending every campaign rally, he has indicated that he will leave much of the nationwide mobilisation to the APC Presidential Campaign Council while concentrating on governance, the country’s financial obligations and efforts to attract long-term investment.

The difference reflects the competing demands on an incumbent president seeking re-election: While a presidential candidate in opposition or outside government can devote substantial time to electioneering, a sitting president must also attend to national affairs, including economic management, security and international commitments.

Tinubu’s position also places greater responsibility on the APC’s campaign machinery, governors, lawmakers and other party leaders to mobilise voters and communicate the administration’s policies and record across the country. His assurance that he will still make time to address Nigerians directly suggests that he is not withdrawing from the campaign altogether but intends to be selective about his physical participation.

Politically, the shift raises an important question: Can the APC’s campaign structure sustain nationwide mobilisation and effectively communicate the President’s message without his regular physical presence at rallies?