2027 Election: Tinubu Lacks Capacity for Nationwide Campaign, Rufai Oseni Tells APC Supporters

Arise Television presenter Rufai Oseni has challenged claims that President Bola Tinubu’s reported plan to campaign in only 12 states ahead of the 2027 general election is a deliberate political strategy, arguing that the president lacks the capacity to undertake a broader nationwide campaign.

Oseni made the remarks on Friday during a discussion on political developments surrounding the forthcoming presidential election, describing the explanation offered by supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as an attempt to justify Tinubu’s limited campaign schedule.

The broadcaster recalled Tinubu’s activities during the 2023 general election, noting that the president had travelled extensively across the country to canvass support, including during an election in which he was not the presidential candidate.

He also referenced the campaign approach of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who, according to him, sometimes visited two states in a single day to complete his campaign within 18 days.

Oseni maintained that Tinubu’s reported decision to restrict his campaign to 12 states should not be portrayed as a calculated political move, insisting that the explanation overlooked what he described as the president’s inability to campaign extensively.

“The argument now that they are making, that a lot of them are saying President Tinubu now campaigning in those 12 states are strategic. It’s not strategy. He doesn’t have the capacity to campaign. Let’s stop deceiving ourselves,” Oseni said.

“In the last election, he campaigned in most of the states. In the election that was not even his, he went round and campaigned.

“Even Buhari that a lot of people cast aspersions at, what Buhari just did was that in some instances he covered two states in a day, so that he was able to condense everything into 18 days.

“He doesn’t just have the capacity to campaign. So let’s continue to deceive ourselves. You see, when I talk about Nigeria, I’m at sea as regards the level of deceit and personal deceit we have for ourselves, and that’s why this country doesn’t move forward, and that’s why the things we talked about in 2015, we’ll keep talking about them today again,” he added.