By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
PRESIDENT BOLA Tinubu is set to personally lead All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rallies in 12 states ahead of the 2027 general election, with the proposed itinerary focusing heavily on states where he lost to opposition candidates in 2023.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the proposed nationwide campaign timetable, released by the ruling party on Thursday, October 15, schedules the campaign flag-off in Kaduna on October 24, 2026, and the grand finale in Lagos on January 9, 2027, one week before the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16.
Moreover, the party revealed that the 12 states listed for Tinubu’s personal appearances are Kaduna, Rivers, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.
Also, the party noted that the remaining states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are expected to host rallies coordinated by other party leaders and members of the Presidential Campaign Council.
APC also said the proposed itinerary suggests it is prioritising states where it hopes to recover lost electoral support while consolidating its position in areas Tinubu won in 2023.
Of the 12 states, Tinubu won only Rivers, Oyo and Borno in the last presidential election, while Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso won the other nine.
That was when ex-Vice President Atiku defeated Tinubu in Kaduna, Bauchi, Sokoto and Adamawa, while Obi won Plateau, Enugu, Delta and Lagos. Kwankwaso secured Kano for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), polling 997,279 votes against Tinubu’s 517,341.
The figures make the proposed campaign schedule particularly significant in states where the APC faces the task of strengthening its electoral support ahead of the next presidential contest.
In Kaduna, where the APC plans to launch its campaign, Atiku polled 554,360 votes in 2023 against Tinubu’s 399,293, despite the ruling party controlling the state government.
Kano presents another major electoral challenge. Kwankwaso’s performance in 2023 gave him a substantial lead over Tinubu, although the political alignments involving opposition figures have since changed ahead of the 2027 election.
Sokoto recorded a much narrower contest, with Atiku defeating Tinubu by 3,235 votes in 2023. In Adamawa, Atiku’s home state, he secured 417,611 votes against Tinubu’s 182,881.
The proposed visit to Enugu also places the South-East state among the APC’s priority campaign destinations. Tinubu secured just 4,772 votes there in 2023, compared with Obi’s 428,640.
Lagos, where Tinubu governed from 1999 to 2007 and maintains a longstanding political base, will host the proposed closing rally. Obi won the state in 2023 with 582,454 votes against Tinubu’s 572,606, a difference of 9,848 votes.
The itinerary also includes Rivers, Oyo and Borno, where Tinubu won in 2023. Their inclusion suggests that the APC intends to consolidate existing support alongside efforts to regain ground in states won by opposition candidates.
Rivers remains politically significant because of the influence of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and the state’s political alignments. Oyo has gained additional relevance with Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential ambition, while Borno is the political base of Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
The proposed schedule distributes Tinubu’s appearances across all six geopolitical zones, with seven states in the North and five in the South as the party plans to mobilise governors, ministers, National Assembly members and other stakeholders for rallies across the federation.
At the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, October 14, Tinubu said his presidential responsibilities would prevent him from attending every campaign rally.
“Nigeria needs more attention now than ever before. The responsibility of this office does not pause,” he said.
“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you; we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait.”
The President also stressed the importance of attracting long-term investments and ensuring that political activities did not distract his administration from governance.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from opposition figures, who argue that Tinubu should personally defend his administration’s record before seeking another four-year term.
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, accused Tinubu of being unwilling to face Nigerians over the difficulties they have experienced during his administration.
In a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku’s camp questioned the President’s explanation for limiting his campaign appearances.
“Now he wants another mandate. Before asking Nigerians for one, he must face them and account for the first term,” Shaibu said.
He argued that Nigerians deserved direct answers about the cost of living, access to medicines and employment opportunities, adding that campaign surrogates could not substitute for the President’s personal accountability.
The Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) also accused Tinubu of avoiding public scrutiny because of dissatisfaction with his administration’s performance.
In a statement, its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, described the decision not to attend every rally as an attempt to evade public resentment.
The organisation argued that a president confident in his performance should be prepared to defend his record before voters.
Also, JKNewsMedia.com reports that meanwhile, Tinubu has directed APC women leaders nationwide, alongside the party’s Director of Women Mobilisation, Betta Edu, to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and expand support among female voters ahead of the election.
During the campaign council’s inauguration, the President also pledged support for legislative efforts to increase women’s representation in elected offices, promising to sponsor the Women Reserve Seat Bill.
“You women are the greatest mobilisers, and I assure you a sponsorship of the Women Reserve Seat Bill,” Tinubu said.
Separately, Atiku’s Media Office rejected Shettima’s portrayal of the former vice-president as a beneficiary of Tinubu’s political generosity during the formation of the Action Congress (AC) ahead of the 2007 presidential election.
The office argued that the party emerged from a coalition of political interests, including Tinubu’s faction of the Alliance for Democracy, the Advanced Congress of Democrats and other groups.
It maintained that Atiku and Tinubu were political partners who participated in building the platform, rather than one being dependent on the other’s generosity.
Additionally, the media office also cited former AC National Chairman Bisi Akande’s autobiography, which it said acknowledged that the party was formed with Atiku as a participant in the political arrangement.
At of now, the APC noted that its proposed campaign timetable remains subject to official confirmation.
It says that the party’s final rally is scheduled for Lagos on January 9, 2027, ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16.
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Jobless people, so what is their own if President Tinubu chooses to campaign or not; I think if they are serious and they know what they are doing they should be happy about it since it will give them opportunity to reach out more with their campaign, what an unserious bunch; jeun jeun opposition without brains