Arise News Director of News/Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo, has warned President Bola Tinubu to be very careful with some governors following the President’s announcement that he would not visit every state in the federation during his campaigns.
Tinubu, during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council on Thursday, announced that he would skip some campaign trips to states.
Sambo noted that Tinubu’s decision not to travel around the country for campaigns was a weak point for the APC, adding that some opposition members were already saying the President was not fit enough to face the electorate, while others believed he did not want to face voters’ anger over the economic crisis.
Sambo said the President must be very careful with some APC governors he was trusting to conduct his campaigns, adding that there were many hidden issues that could not be disclosed at this point.
He told Arise News: “In terms of governance within the APC, it is actually a weak point for President Tinubu because, in 2019, you could see President Muhammadu Buhari going around the country.
“He was able to visit two states a day in some instances, trying to prove to people that, despite claims that he was sick and would not be able to campaign, he could do so.
“He was able to travel around the entire country, visiting two or three states per day, depending on how they were able to organise things.
“If you also consider Obasanjo, he did almost the same thing in 2003, as Buhari did. So, they were very strong and agile and were able to travel around. But if you juxtapose Buhari’s campaign with Tinubu’s, it could actually be seen as a weak point.
“But internationally, is that the standard? Yes, I am beginning to see some things that are practised in other countries being adopted by President Tinubu. In this instance, take Trump, for example. He did not travel around extensively when seeking re-election.
“Even when he had lost, all he needed to do was visit battleground states and swing states, where the bulk of the votes would come from.
“Now, some people in the opposition have been saying that President Tinubu is not being truthful to the nation. They claim he is not physically strong enough to face the electorate. You would also have heard other political parties saying that he does not want to face voters’ anger because of the economic crisis we are going through.
“Those things also count. I know that if President Tinubu wanted to go on the campaign trail, he would have loved to do so. He should also be careful about what his advisers are telling him.
“When President Buhari travelled around in 2019, you could see that he had the opportunity to interact with traditional rulers and meet people on the front lines, especially in states facing insurgency, and see things directly.
“President Tinubu has not been travelling around much, even before this campaign. This could have given him an opportunity to see things openly and clearly and interact with people.
“So, if he is going to visit only a few places, I would say that he should be very, very careful with some state governors and members of his campaign team. He should be very careful because there are many hidden issues that cannot be disclosed now.”
‘Be very careful of state govs, so much hidden’ – Sambo advises Tinubu