As Tinubu Sits Out The Campaign

It’s official now: President Bola Tinubu is spending most of the election campaign holed up in Aso Rock, while the rest of the APC crisscrosses the country to sell the president as a present, capable, and hands-on commander-in-chief.

According to the campaign schedule, Tinubu will only join the campaign in 12 states, visiting only Plateau in the North-central. Practically, the president may end campaigning personally in even fewer than the 12 mentioned.

The question is why? Why would the president not take his own re-election seriously? It’s possible that the president genuinely needs to rest after retiring from France. Maybe his age won’t allow him.

It’s also possible that the presidency is taking voters for granted and is relying on the power of incumbency, control of the police, the judiciary, and even the electoral commission, which is supposed to be independent.

Whether it is the intention or not, the central message from the president sitting out the election campaign is that the ruling party no longer pretends it needs to beg for votes or is reliant on the people” # consent to govern. The APC, it seems, has other plans.