Tinubu’s 2027 Re-election Campaign: A Question of Accountability

President Bola Tinubu’s reported decision not to attend every campaign rally ahead of the 2027 presidential election, leaving APC governors and local government chairmen to mobilise voters at the grassroots, raises some important questions for me.

Why now?

Why should the responsibility of making a case for his re-election be left largely to party officials across the country?

I agree that the President has enormous governmental responsibilities and that campaigning should not necessarily bring governance to a standstill. Nor do I suggest that he must personally attend every rally.

However, there is a fundamental difference between delegating campaign mobilisation and delegating accountability. The latter would be tantamount to outsourcing personal responsibility.

Ultimately, it is President Tinubu who is seeking another four-year mandate. It is therefore his responsibility to give Nigerians a convincing account of his stewardship during his first term, explain the successes and shortcomings of his administration, address the hardship and other concerns citizens have experienced, and demonstrate why he deserves another opportunity to lead the country.

Governors and local government chairmen can mobilise voters on his behalf, but they cannot answer for him on every question concerning his presidency.

The central question, therefore, is this: beyond asking party officials to deliver the votes, what compelling reasons will President Tinubu personally offer Nigerians to renew his mandate? 

Those reasons should constitute his unique selling points; the substance of his case for re-election, which no one else can adequately present on his behalf. They must come straight from the horse’s mouth.