The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) has challenged President Bola Tinubu to face Nigerians during the 2027 election campaign and account for his administration’s performance before seeking another term in office.
This was just as the party accused Tinubu of treating Nigerians with contempt after he said he would not attend every campaign rally because he needed to focus on governance and the country’s economic responsibilities.
ADC Presidential Campaign Council Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, made the remarks while receiving a delegation of youths under the aegis of Young Voters for Atiku.
Ologbondiyan argued that a president seeking re-election should personally engage voters and explain his administration’s record rather than leave the task to party members and political associates.
“What President Tinubu has done is a clear act of contempt against the Nigerian people,” he said.
He dismissed the argument that governance responsibilities could prevent Tinubu from campaigning across the country, citing former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, who sought re-election while in office.
“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,” Ologbondiyan added.
The ADC campaign council also criticised the Tinubu administration over the economic hardship, insecurity, hunger and poverty facing Nigerians.
According to Ologbondiyan, the administration should be prepared to answer questions from citizens struggling to afford basic necessities and secure their livelihoods.
“He knows Nigerians are hungry and angry. He knows that the average Nigerian finds it difficult to eat and to be secure,” he said.
The ADC urged young Nigerians to reject the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election, arguing that another term for the party would prolong the country’s difficulties.
Ologbondiyan said ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar was prepared to campaign across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, promising that an Atiku-led government would prioritise economic recovery, wealth creation, national security and improved living standards.
“Atiku Abubakar will bring back subsidy to reduce cost of petroleum products, create wealth, end hunger in our land, secure our nation and restore our battered economy,” he said.
Atiku had also criticised Tinubu over his position on campaign rallies, arguing that the president must account for his administration’s performance before asking Nigerians for another four-year mandate.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the president could not rely on governors, ministers and political defectors to defend his record while avoiding direct engagement with voters.
Tinubu had told members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at its inauguration in Abuja on Wednesday that they should not expect him to accompany them to every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general election.
The president urged the campaign council members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across the states and local government areas, saying he would continue to attend to governance and the country’s economic responsibilities.
Reacting, Atiku questioned whether the president had shown the same urgency in addressing the hardship Nigerians had experienced under his administration.
“Now he wants another mandate. Before asking Nigerians for one, he must face them and account for the first term,” the former vice-president said.
He challenged Tinubu to explain to Nigerians how his policies had affected food prices, pensioners’ access to medicines and employment opportunities for young people.
Atiku also argued that the president’s stated concern about meeting the expectations of American creditors should not take precedence over the needs of Nigerians struggling with rising living costs.
He maintained that political associates could not substitute for the president in answering questions about his administration’s decisions and performance.
“The people on his campaign council did not receive the mandate in 2023. Tinubu did. He made the promises. He took the decisions. He must face the questions,” Atiku said.
