2027 Election: Why I Won't Join APC Campaign Council at Every Rally, Tinubu Explains

• President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday ahead of the 2027 general elections
• Tinubu told council members he could not join them at every campaign stop, pointing to financial obligations and the need to attract investors
• The President assured Nigerians he would still find time to speak directly to them even as the council led outreach across states and local governments

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told members of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council that they should not expect him at every rally as the party gears up for the 2027 general elections, saying governance must come first.

Tinubu told APC members that Nigeria's needs and financial commitments would limit how often he could join them on the campaign trail.

As reported by The Punch, Tinubu made this clear on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in Abuja when he inaugurated the council.

"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," the President said.

He then told the council to expect his absence at many events, pointing to the country's debt obligations as a reason he could not be everywhere at once.

"So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you; we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait," he said.

Tinubu on investors and the economy

Beyond the campaign, Tinubu used the occasion to stress his focus on attracting long-term foreign investment to Nigeria, saying this work demanded his continued attention.

"We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children," he said.

Despite limiting his campaign appearances, the President said he would still make time to speak directly to Nigerians while the council coordinated 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.

APC's covenant with Nigerians

Tinubu cast the inauguration as more than a procedural event, describing it as a renewed pledge between the ruling party and the Nigerian public.

"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," he said.

He charged council members to carry the administration's record and policy agenda to every ward in the country, saying incomplete work would earn no credit.

"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," the President said.

Tinubu also congratulated party members on completing the APC congresses, which some had predicted would cause a major internal split.

He said the party had held together from ward level up to the national leadership despite those fears.

"They said there would be implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn't let us down. We got here together," he said.

He closed by expressing confidence that the council would deliver victory for the party in 2027.

Adeleke dances at Tinubu, APC campaign inauguration

Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke publicly declared his support for President Tinubu's return to Aso Rock in 2027.

Adeleke made the pledge at the inauguration of the Tinubu/APC Campaign Council on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

Before taking the stage, Adeleke danced to a Davido song, drawing cheers from the crowd at the event.