President Bola Tinubu has said he will not attend every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general election, citing the need to focus on governance, Nigeria’s financial obligations and efforts to attract long-term investors.
The president made this known on Wednesday in Abuja while inaugurating the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, directing its members to take the party’s message to voters across states, local government areas and wards.
Tinubu said the demands of campaigning must not come at the expense of his responsibilities as president, agreeing with concerns that he should remain focused on running the country.
“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 would be selective about campaign appearances, Tinubu pointed to the government’s financial commitments, including international obligations that required attention.
“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” the president said.
He also emphasised the need to attract investors willing to establish a lasting presence in Nigeria and commit resources to the country’s long-term development.
“We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children,” he added.
Despite his limited availability for campaign rallies, Tinubu assured Nigerians that he would still make time to address them directly, while the campaign council coordinated mobilisation efforts nationwide.
“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 said.
The president described the council’s inauguration as a renewed commitment between the APC and Nigerians, rather than merely the formal launch of a campaign structure.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He charged members with communicating the administration’s vision, record and policy agenda to voters across the country, expressing confidence that their efforts would help secure victory for the party.
“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 said.
Tinubu also congratulated party members on the completion of the APC congresses, recalling predictions that the internal exercise could trigger divisions within the ruling party.
He said the party had overcome the challenges and completed the process 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,” the president said.
