The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused President Bola Tinubu of avoiding Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election, alleging that public anger over economic hardship and insecurity has made him reluctant to campaign nationwide.
The council said a reported plan by Tinubu not to campaign across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory amounted to contempt for the electorate, insisting that a president seeking re-election should account for his performance before voters.
The Director of Media and Publicity for the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this in Abuja on Friday while receiving a delegation of youths under the aegis of Young Voters for Atiku.
Ologbondiyan argued that Tinubu should be prepared to defend his record on the economy, security, and the rising cost of living rather than limit his campaign engagements.
“What President Tinubu has done is a clear act of contempt against the Nigerian people. How can a man who wants to be re-elected as president, after failing woefully, say he does not want to visit the people he seeks to govern? It is an aberration of norm,” he said.
He dismissed the argument that official responsibilities could prevent Tinubu from campaigning nationwide, citing former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari as leaders who combined governance with re-election campaigns.
“Didn’t former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari attend to official duties while campaigning for their return tickets? Why is Tinubu’s case different?” he asked
The ADC-PCC spokesman alleged that the President was reluctant to face voters because of widespread dissatisfaction with the economy, insecurity, hunger, and poverty.
“He knows Nigerians are hungry and angry. He knows that the average Nigerian finds it difficult to eat and to be secure. He has failed on all fronts, so he is afraid to face Nigerians. He is running away from the reality he created,” he said.
He maintained that the reported approach could give the opposition an advantage if its presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, embarked on a nationwide campaign to engage voters and present his policy proposals.
According to Ologbondiyan, Atiku is physically fit and mentally prepared to visit all 36 states and the FCT to canvass support for his candidacy.
He said the former vice-president would focus on economic recovery, wealth creation, improved security, and better living conditions.
Ologbondiyan urged young Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 election, accusing the ruling party of worsening hardship and insecurity.
“President Tinubu has taken Nigerians for a joke and should not seek re-election. A president who is afraid to face his own people has no business asking for their votes.
“I appeal to every young Nigerian to reject them,” he said. “Let us collectively reject hunger, reject poverty, reject hardship, and reject insecurity. The APC has brought only pain to Nigerians. It is time to say enough is enough,” he said.
The ADC-PCC director also claimed that the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council had strengthened the opposition, arguing that the event had not attracted endorsements from ADC members or sympathisers.
He expressed confidence that an Atiku administration would reduce the cost of living, stimulate economic activity, and restore public confidence in governance.
“Atiku Abubakar will bring back subsidy to reduce the cost of petroleum products, create wealth, end hunger in our land, secure our nation, and restore our battered economy.
“He has the experience, the capacity, and the compassion to rescue Nigeria,” he said.