President Bola Tinubu has informed members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council that they should not expect him to join them at every campaign event before the 2027 general election, explaining that he needs to concentrate on governance and the country’s economic obligations.
Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, calling on members to deliver the party’s message to Nigerians throughout the states and local government areas as he continued handling governance issues.
The president said he shared the concerns that campaign demands should not divert his attention from governing the country, stressing that Nigeria currently requires his focus.
“You’ve warned me not to allow the rigor of the campaign to distract me from governance; I hear you. I am in full agreement with your decision. Nigeria needs more attention now,” Tinubu said.
He asked council members not to expect him at every campaign event, explaining that his administration had bills to pay and international financial commitments to fulfill.
“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you; we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” the president said.
Tinubu also stated that the government needed to attract investors willing to make long-term commitments in Nigeria and help shape a better future for the country’s children.
“We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children,” he said.
However, the president assured Nigerians that he would continue communicating with them directly, even as the campaign council assumed responsibility for mobilization nationwide.
“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.
Tinubu said the council’s inauguration was more than a campaign event, describing it as a renewed commitment to Nigerians and to the responsibilities of the ruling party.
“We have not gathered merely to inaugurate a council. We have gathered to renew a covenant. A covenant with Nigerian people and the historic responsibility they have entrusted to us as Nigeria’s governing party,” he said.
He also stated that the council was expected to communicate the administration’s vision, achievements, and agenda to voters nationwide.
“This council will carry our vision, our records, and our agenda to every Nigerian, and it will carry them to victory every ward of this country,” Tinubu said.
The president also praised APC members for successfully conducting the party’s congresses, recalling that some had foreseen internal crises during the process.
He said the party had surmounted the challenges and emerged united, acknowledging members’ participation from the ward level through to the national leadership.
“They said there will be an implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn’t let us down. We got here together,” he said.
