President Bola Tinubu has said he will not attend every campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general election, saying he needs to focus on governance, the economy and attracting investors to Nigeria.
Tinubu made this known on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, urging members to take charge of the party’s mobilisation efforts across the country while he attends to national responsibilities.
The President said he agreed that the demands of electioneering should not distract him from governance, noting that the country needed 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,” Tinubu said.
He subsequently told members of the council not to expect him at every campaign event, citing the country’s financial obligations, including debts owed to foreign creditors.
“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay.
The American creditors cannot wait,” the President said.
Tinubu also highlighted the need to attract investors who would establish viable businesses and make long-term commitments to the country’s economic growth.
“We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children,” he said.
Although he plans to limit his participation in campaign tours, the President said he would still make time to address Nigerians directly as party officials coordinate campaign activities at the state and local government levels.
“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.
Describing the inauguration as more than the establishment of a campaign structure, Tinubu said it represented a renewed commitment to Nigerians and the responsibilities entrusted to the APC as 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.
He tasked the council with communicating the administration’s vision, achievements and policy agenda to voters nationwide, expressing confidence that the party would win the next 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,” Tinubu said.
The President also congratulated party members on the successful completion of the APC congresses, recalling predictions that the exercise could lead to a major internal crisis.
He said the party had overcome the anticipated challenges and completed the process, with members participating 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,” he said.
Tinubu urged campaign council members to work towards securing votes in their respective wards, stressing that their efforts would only be recognised if they delivered electoral victories.
“No one gets credit for an incomplete assignment. So, until you deliver the next election, until you deliver your wards, until you deliver the votes, before we can say thank you,” he said.
He thanked party members for their support during the previous election and reiterated that the inauguration signified a renewed pledge to Nigerians.
“The APC is ready. We have not gathered merely to inaugurate a council; we have gathered to renew a covenant, a covenant with the Nigerian people and the historic responsibility they have entrusted to us as Nigeria’s governing party. We promise we will not let them down,” he said.
Expressing confidence in the party’s chances in 2027, Tinubu asked members whether they were prepared for the campaign ahead and assured them that they would share in the joy of victory.
“I celebrate you. I celebrate you, no doubt about that. Nigeria will continue to celebrate you. You will see the joy of this victory. You will share in the joy,” he said.
