President Bola Tinubu’s participation in the 2027 presidential campaign has become a point of political contention, with opposition figures challenging him to defend his administration’s record before voters, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled a nationwide rally schedule that includes appearances by the President in several states.

The Social Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, the Peter Obi Media Reach and the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation have questioned reports that Tinubu may limit his participation in the nationwide campaign, arguing that he should personally account for his policies and performance rather than rely on political allies.

The APC, however, has pressed ahead with preparations for the re-election campaign, releasing a timetable covering the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while supporters staged a rally in Yola, Adamawa State, to demonstrate backing for the President.

Adebayo accused Tinubu of avoiding the 2027 campaign trail out of fear of public anger over his administration’s performance.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, he argued that Tinubu’s decision to limit his involvement in the re-election campaign was an attempt to avoid confronting Nigerians over unmet expectations.

He said the President might have reviewed his performance in the past three years and realised that he had fallen short of the expectations of ordinary Nigerians, particularly those who credited him with transforming Lagos State into a centre of excellence.

Tinubu had explained, while inaugurating the revised Presidential Campaign Committee and the APC Presidential Campaign Council, that pressing governance responsibilities might prevent him from participating in the nationwide campaign trail.

In August, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, said Tinubu did not necessarily need to campaign, arguing that his achievements and reforms would speak for him.

However, Adebayo dismissed that position, recalling a statement by the late Tony Momoh, an APC founding member, who urged Nigerians to hold the party’s leaders accountable if they failed to deliver on their manifesto.

The SDP candidate argued that Tinubu was staying away from campaign activities because he feared public backlash rather than because his administration had a record of achievements to showcase.

“All I can tell you is that Tinubu is unqualified to campaign, because the person who has written a bounced cheque cannot write another one again. Dud cheque,” he said.

He added: “You can only write a dud cheque once. You write a cheque and bounce it; the next person you give a cheque to will say, sorry, go and clear the one you wrote before.”

Referring to Momoh’s remarks, Adebayo also recalled Tinubu’s reported pledge on electricity supply, saying the President had challenged Nigerians not to vote for him again if he failed to provide electricity for a year.

THE Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) challenged Tinubu to personally defend his administration’s record ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that political surrogates cannot replace accountability.

In a statement yesterday, POMR spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, argued that the President could not delegate the responsibility of defending his policies while expecting Nigerians to renew his mandate.

“You cannot govern by proxy, campaign through surrogates, and expect votes from Nigerians,” the group said.

POMR acknowledged that party chieftains and political allies could campaign for Tinubu but maintained that they could not answer for the consequences of his administration’s decisions.

“Surrogates can speak for the President, but they cannot answer for his failures. They can repeat his promises, but they cannot make those promises a reality,” the statement said.

The group challenged Tinubu to explain how his economic policies had improved the lives of Nigerians grappling with the rising costs of food, transportation, electricity, housing and other essentials.

“If the economy is improving, let him explain how that improvement is reflected in the cost of food, transportation, electricity, housing, and necessities,” it said.

POMR added that if the administration believed its policies were working, the President should personally explain their benefits to citizens seeking answers to persistent economic hardship.

It accused the administration of risking a campaign in which political allies would promote its achievements without the President directly addressing questions about his performance.

The group insisted that Nigerians were being asked to assess Tinubu’s leadership, policies and promises rather than those of the political figures campaigning on his behalf.

“Nigerians are not being asked to elect your surrogates. They are being asked to assess you, your policies, your promises, and your performance,” the statement added.

POMR maintained that a president seeking re-election must be prepared to face voters and defend his record, regardless of the demands of the campaign.

THE Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) challenged Tinubu to campaign nationwide ahead of the 2027 presidential election or withdraw from the race, accusing him of avoiding voters for fear of public rejection.

The organisation also criticised Tinubu’s reference to himself as “Governor Tinubu” during the inauguration of his presidential campaign council, describing the remark as evidence of alleged disorientation and unfitness to govern.

In a statement issued yesterday and signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the MDPCO accused the President of attempting to evade public anger over his administration’s performance.

It said Tinubu’s reported decision not to accompany his campaign council to every state was an affront to democratic principles and raised questions about his willingness to defend his record before voters.

“A president who believes he has performed well should be confident to defend his record before the people,” the organisation said, alleging that Tinubu had failed to fulfil his campaign promises.

The group cited worsening electricity supply, rising electricity tariffs, widespread poverty, hunger and insecurity as evidence of what it described as the administration’s failures.

It also blamed the removal of the petrol subsidy, the floating of the naira and other economic policies for worsening hardship, claiming that millions of Nigerians had been pushed into poverty.

The MDPCO argued that Tinubu’s alleged reluctance to campaign directly across the country reflected fears of public resentment over the economic and security challenges confronting Nigerians.

“If President Tinubu is so fatigued that he cannot go round the country to canvass for votes, then he should withdraw from the race,” the statement said.

Tinubu to lead APC campaign rallies in 12 states
MEANWHILE, the All Progressives Congress has released its nationwide campaign rally schedule for the 2027 presidential election, covering the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with President Bola Tinubu expected to lead rallies in 12 states.

The campaign is scheduled to run from October 2026 to early January 2027, with the official flag-off in Kaduna on October 24 and the grand finale in Lagos on January 9, 2027.

The timetable, sighted yesterday, comes days after Tinubu hinted that he might not attend every campaign rally, citing the need to balance electioneering with governance.

The President is expected to lead the campaign in Port Harcourt on November 7, Plateau State on November 14, Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 21, Borno State on November 25 and Enugu State on November 28.

He is also scheduled to lead rallies in Bauchi on November 29, Sokoto on December 5, Asaba, Delta State, on December 12, Kano on December 17 and Yola, Adamawa State, on January 4, 2027.

The schedule lists other rallies in Akure, Ondo State, on November 11; Edo State on November 12; Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on November 18; Awka, Anambra State, on November 19; and Gombe State on November 3.

Other dates include Cross River State on November 2; Ekiti State on November 5; Ebonyi State on November 9; Jigawa State on November 10; Kebbi State on November 17; and Yobe State on November 16.

The campaign will also hold rallies in Makurdi, Benue State, on November 30; Katsina State on December 2; Abeokuta, Ogun State, on December 3; Abia State on December 7; Kogi State on December 8; Osun State on December 9; and Kwara State on December 10.

Further rallies are scheduled for Bayelsa State on December 15; Niger and Zamfara states on December 16 and 14, respectively; Taraba State on December 19; and Owerri, Imo State, on December 30.

The timetable places the Adamawa rally on January 4, 2027, ahead of the grand finale in Lagos on January 9.

Adamawa is the home state of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is among Tinubu’s potential challengers in the 2027 presidential election.

The APC’s campaign schedule is expected to take the party’s message across the country as it seeks to secure a second term for Tinubu.

THIS came as supporters of President Tinubu yesterday converged on Yola, Adamawa State, for a rally in support of his re-election bid in 2027, with organisers describing the turnout as evidence of his growing political appeal in the North-East.

The rally was organised by the Tinubu Must Go Again (TMGA) 2027 North-East Campaign Group as part of its mobilisation drive ahead of the presidential election.

Speaking at the event, the group’s National Coordinator, Prof. Sheriff Almuhajir, said the mobilisation was voluntary and aimed at demonstrating support for Tinubu while explaining his administration’s reform agenda to Nigerians.

Almuhajir, a professor of Economic and Financial Administration, urged Nigerians to assess the country’s economic difficulties within the broader context of the administration’s reforms.

He argued that difficult policy decisions were necessary to achieve lasting economic transformation and sustainable growth.

The campaign coordinator also cited Tinubu’s support for the political aspirations of northern politicians, claiming that the President had backed three candidates from the region, including two from Adamawa State.

He described the turnout as a response to claims that Tinubu’s re-election campaign would struggle to gain traction in Northern Nigeria.

According to him, thousands of young men and women marched for more than a kilometre, while residents along the route expressed solidarity with the campaign.