Davidson Ogbebor

ABUJA, — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council that he may not accompany them to every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general election, citing the demands of governance, the country’s financial obligations and the need to attract long-term investors.

Tinubu made the remarks on Wednesday during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he charged party leaders to take the administration’s message to Nigerians across the country and mobilise support for his re-election bid.

“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” the President said, according to reports by Punch Newspapers and other media organisations covering the event.

The President explained that the responsibilities of his office would not be suspended because of the election season, insisting that the government must continue to attend to national priorities even as the ruling party intensifies its preparations for the 2027 polls.

“The responsibility of this office does not pause,” Tinubu said, adding that he would still make time to address Nigerians directly while members of the campaign council coordinated activities at the state and local government levels.

The President also linked his decision to limit his participation in campaign tours to the need to attract investors prepared to establish sustainable businesses and commit resources to Nigeria’s long-term economic development. He said the country needed investors willing to remain in the country and invest in the future of its children.

The President described the inauguration as more than a formal political gathering, saying it represented a renewed commitment between the APC and the Nigerian people. He declared that the party was prepared for the next electoral contest and promised that the administration would not disappoint Nigerians.

“The APC is ready. 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. We promise we will not let them down,” he said.

Tinubu also challenged members of the campaign council to demonstrate their political strength by delivering votes in their respective wards and local government areas. He warned that the party would measure their contributions by electoral results rather than attendance at meetings or participation in campaign activities.

“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.

According to reports from the event, the council is chaired by Tinubu, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda serving as first and second vice-chairmen, respectively. Former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari is the Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma serves as secretary. The structure is expected to coordinate campaign messaging, political mobilisation and outreach across the country.

The inauguration also brought together senior government officials, governors, party leaders and other political figures. Reports by Voice of Nigeria identified among those present Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Vice-President Shettima and several other political stakeholders. The reported participation of figures associated with different political parties reflected the broad coalition assembled around Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

The APC’s next major campaign milestone is scheduled for October 24 in Kaduna State, according to an earlier announcement by Yari. The campaign is expected to proceed to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Maiduguri, Borno State, as the party begins a wider programme of political engagement ahead of the 2027 general election.

Tinubu’s remarks place the responsibilities of governance and electoral mobilisation at the centre of the party’s preparations. While the President has indicated that he will not attend every campaign event, he has pledged to continue engaging Nigerians directly as his campaign council takes the party’s message to communities nationwide. The extent to which the APC can translate its mobilisation plans and promises into public support will become clearer as the campaign progresses.