President Bola Tinubu has cautioned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council against allowing preparations for the 2027 general elections to distract him from his responsibilities as Nigeria’s President.
Tinubu gave the warning on Wednesday while inaugurating the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja. He stressed that the country’s pressing needs required his full attention, insisting that governance must remain a priority despite the party’s ongoing preparations for his re-election campaign.
The President said he agreed with the decision to ensure that campaign activities did not interfere with his official duties, noting that the responsibilities of his office would continue regardless of political schedules.
The inauguration came ahead of the formal commencement of Tinubu’s re-election campaign, scheduled for October 24 in Kaduna. The APC is working to strengthen its political structures and coordinate mobilisation efforts across states, local government areas and wards ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the event, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, urged members of the campaign council to work together in promoting the administration’s achievements and mobilising support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
Yilwatda said the campaign would require coordination, discipline, effective communication and sustained engagement with Nigerians. He maintained that the party must communicate its record in government while acknowledging the challenges facing the country and presenting a credible vision for the future.
He identified investments in roads, electricity, gas, railways, ports, agriculture and digital connectivity among the areas the campaign should highlight, particularly their potential impact on employment, productivity, commerce and national development.
The inauguration attracted several political figures, including Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke. Despite their different political affiliations, the three were assigned roles coordinating Tinubu’s campaign in the FCT, Anambra and Osun states, while Wike was also assigned responsibility for Rivers State.
Adeleke expressed support for Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the President needed more time to implement his economic reforms. He maintained that four years would not be sufficient for the administration’s policies to produce their intended results and urged Nigerians to support the President for another term.
Soludo also expressed confidence in Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 election, calling for unity among political groups that share similar principles on national security, development and economic prosperity.
However, the inauguration attracted criticism from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which accused the ruling party of undermining Nigeria’s multiparty democracy. The ADC Presidential Campaign Council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that the APC was attempting to weaken opposition parties by drawing opposition politicians into its campaign structure.
The ADC also raised concerns about the involvement of opposition governors in the APC’s re-election campaign, describing the development as a threat to political competition and democratic choice.
Meanwhile, Ismail Omipidan, a former media aide to ex-Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola, questioned the APC’s strategy in Osun, particularly Adeleke’s reported promise to deliver 1.5 million votes for Tinubu in 2027.
Omipidan argued that the target was unrealistic, noting that Osun had not recorded more than one million votes in a presidential election. He also warned that political strategies designed without sufficient consideration of local political dynamics could produce unintended consequences.
The competing reactions reflect the political tensions emerging as parties prepare for the 2027 general elections. While the APC is seeking to consolidate its nationwide structure and build support for Tinubu’s re-election, opposition figures have questioned the ruling party’s methods and the implications for democratic competition.
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