President Bola Tinubu has said he will not attend every campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election, citing the need to focus on governance, meet financial obligations and attract foreign investors.
Tinubu made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, where he tasked members with leading the party’s mobilisation efforts across the country.
The President said the demands of electioneering must not distract his administration from addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges, noting that the country required his attention.
“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 his decision to limit his participation in campaign activities, Tinubu pointed to the country’s financial commitments, including obligations to foreign creditors.
“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” he added.
The President also stressed the importance of attracting investors who would establish businesses in Nigeria and contribute to the country’s long-term economic growth.
According to him, the government wants investors who are willing to remain in the country and invest in opportunities that will benefit future generations.
Despite his planned absence from some campaign outings, Tinubu assured Nigerians that he would make time to address them directly while party leaders coordinated campaigns at the state and local government levels.
He described the inauguration of the campaign council as more than a political gathering, saying it represented a renewed commitment by the APC to Nigerians.
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“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 urged council members to communicate the administration’s policies, achievements and vision to voters nationwide, expressing confidence that the party would secure victory in the 2027 elections.
He also congratulated APC members on the successful completion of the party’s congresses, saying the party had overcome predictions of internal divisions and a possible crisis.
The President said the party had completed the exercise from the ward level to the national leadership without the anticipated breakdown.
“They said there will be implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn’t let us down. We got here together,” he said.
Tinubu further charged campaign council members to ensure the party secured votes in their respective wards, stressing that their efforts would only be recognised after delivering electoral results.
He maintained that the APC was prepared for the 2027 contest and urged members to work towards securing victory for the party.