The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has explained why President Bola Tinubu will attend campaign rallies in only 12 states ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying the selected states are strategically important to the party’s electoral chances.
The campaign council’s spokesman, Dele Alake, said Tinubu had chosen states considered pivotal to the election rather than embarking on a nationwide campaign tour.
According to Alake, the president’s responsibilities as Nigeria’s leader make it difficult for him to visit every state for campaign rallies while ensuring that governance continues.
Alake made the remarks during an interview seen on Monday, while defending Tinubu’s decision to limit his physical appearances at campaign events.
He explained that Tinubu had more time to campaign nationwide in 2023 because he was then a presidential candidate and was not burdened with the demands of the presidency.
“The president has a lot on his plate,” Alake said, describing the responsibilities of the presidency as enormous.
Why Tinubu Selected 12 States for Campaign Rallies
Alake maintained that the 12 states selected for Tinubu’s campaign appearances were strategically chosen across different geopolitical zones because of their potential influence on the election outcome.
He argued that the president’s decision should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment to the APC’s re-election campaign.
“If you were to do a serious empirical verification of those zones and states, you would find out that those places he’s chosen to go are actually deciders, election deciders,” Alake said.
The APC spokesman also criticised media reports suggesting that Tinubu’s decision not to campaign across the country indicated a lack of interest in the 2027 elections.
He described such interpretations as negative, arguing that the president should be commended for balancing campaign activities with his official responsibilities.
According to Alake, Tinubu could also face criticism if he abandoned governance to focus entirely on electioneering.
He said the administration’s approach was intended to allow government business to continue while the ruling party mobilised support for the next general elections.
APC Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
Alake also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, describing the period since the president assumed office in May 2023 as one focused on reforms to address Nigeria’s structural economic challenges.
He identified the removal of the petrol subsidy and the harmonisation of the foreign exchange market as major policy decisions taken by the administration.
The spokesman claimed that the reforms had helped restore investor confidence and strengthen Nigeria’s foreign reserves, which he said had increased from about $4 billion when Tinubu took office to more than $50 billion.
Alake maintained that the administration’s policies were designed to establish a stronger economic foundation and should be assessed beyond immediate changes in food prices and other household expenses.
He acknowledged concerns about the gap between improvements in macroeconomic indicators and the financial realities facing ordinary Nigerians but insisted that the benefits of the reforms were already emerging.
The APC spokesman urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, arguing that continuity would enable the administration to consolidate its economic reforms.
Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Rally Schedule
According to the APC campaign schedule released on Thursday, Tinubu is expected to begin his campaign appearances in Kaduna State on October 24.
The president is subsequently scheduled to attend rallies in Rivers State on November 7, Plateau State on November 14 and Oyo State on November 21.
Tinubu is also expected to attend rallies in Borno, Enugu and Bauchi states on November 25, 28 and 29, respectively.
However, the schedule lists 13 other states for November where the president is not expected to make physical campaign appearances. They are Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Ondo, Edo, Yobe, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Benue.
The campaign is expected to continue in December, with rallies scheduled for Sokoto State on December 5, Delta State on December 12 and Kano State on December 17.
Tinubu’s final two scheduled appearances are in Adamawa State on January 4 and Lagos State on January 9.
The campaign council’s explanation suggests that the president intends to concentrate his physical appearances on selected electoral battlegrounds while continuing to oversee government affairs.
As the 2027 general elections approach, Tinubu’s campaign strategy and the administration’s economic record are expected to remain key issues in the political debate.