Tinubu: I won’t abandon governance for campaigns

The re-election campaign will not stop governance because the economy needs all hands on the plough, the President declared yesterday.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the inauguration of his Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for the January 16, 2027 election, an event that turned into a political carnival.

The President charged council members and his supporters to take his administration’s achievements, reform agenda and development strides to Nigerians to win their support.

With 33 governors backing his re-election bid, Tinubu has assembled a broad coalition of political leaders to coordinate the campaign. Two of the governors, Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, belong to other political parties. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who is also a campaign coordinator, belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tinubu said he had accepted the advice of party leaders that the demands of political campaigns should not distract him from consolidating economic reforms, attracting investments and addressing the country’s challenges.

He assured the council that he would remain actively involved in the campaign and engage Nigerians directly, while leaving much of the responsibility for grassroots mobilisation and state-by-state campaigning to its members.

“You have warned me and asked 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 than ever before. The responsibility of this office does not pause,” he said.

“We have bills to pay,” the President declared, emphasising the need to attract investors and encourage them to establish lasting interests in Nigeria for the benefit of future generations.

He said the administration must continue meeting the country’s financial obligations and creating an environment conducive to long-term investments.

“However, I will still make time to speak directly with Nigerians, even as you lead the campaign in the states and local government areas. So you will excuse me from going everywhere with you,” he added.

Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to establishing state police, assuring Nigerians that the proposed security arrangement would become a reality.

Describing himself as a servant of the party, he pledged to remain faithful to its manifesto, objectives and promises to Nigerians.

“To me, I am your errand man,” he said.

“On security, state police will be a reality,” he declared.

The President also pledged support for legislation seeking additional reserved seats for women in the National Assembly and state legislatures. He urged women in the APC to mobilise behind the proposal, assuring them that his administration remained committed to increasing women’s political representation at national and subnational levels.

Describing the inauguration as a renewal of the APC’s covenant with Nigerians, Tinubu urged council members to approach the election with dedication, discipline and a commitment to defending his administration’s record.

“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.

The President dismissed predictions that the APC would disintegrate following its congresses because of an inability to manage internal disagreements.

He commended the party leadership, led by its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, for steering the party through ward, local government and state congresses to the national convention.

“They said there would be implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn’t let us down,” Tinubu told party leaders.

He reminded members that previous electoral victories did not guarantee another mandate, insisting that their assignment would remain incomplete until they secured victory in 2027.

In a direct appeal to party members, Tinubu asked whether they were ready for the contest, drawing affirmative responses from the gathering.

The President also spoke about the importance of determination and bold leadership in overcoming seemingly insurmountable national challenges.

Recalling his time as Lagos State governor, he spoke of the threat posed by the Atlantic Ocean to parts of the state and efforts to reclaim land and protect the coastline.

He cited the Eko Atlantic project as an example of what could be achieved through courage, planning and determination.

According to him, leaders must confront difficult circumstances rather than surrender to them.