Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are expected to represent President Bola Tinubu at campaign rallies in more than 20 states as the party begins its 2027 presidential re-election campaign.
The campaign is scheduled to commence in Kaduna on October 24, 2026, according to a timetable released by the party on Thursday.
The schedule indicates that Tinubu will personally participate in rallies in 12 states, while APC leaders and members of the campaign council will cover events in other states and the Federal Capital Territory.
After the Kaduna launch, the President is expected to be absent from rallies in Cross River on November 2, Gombe on November 3, Nasarawa on November 4 and Ekiti on November 5. He is scheduled to rejoin the campaign in Rivers on November 7.
He will also miss rallies in Ebonyi on November 9, Jigawa on November 10, Ondo on November 11 and Edo on November 12, before returning for the Plateau rally on November 14.
The timetable further shows that he will not attend rallies in Yobe, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom and Anambra on November 16, 17, 18 and 19 respectively.
He is billed to attend the Oyo rally on November 21 and subsequently rallies in Borno, Enugu and Bauchi on November 25, 28 and 29, but will miss the Benue event on November 30.
In December, the President is scheduled to appear at rallies in Sokoto on December 5, Delta on December 12 and Kano on December 17, with his final appearances slated for Adamawa on January 4, 2027, and Lagos on January 9, 2027.
The remaining 12 states scheduled for December are to be covered by APC leaders and campaign council members on his behalf.
Tinubu had earlier said he would not be able to attend every rally due to the demands of governance.
Speaking on Wednesday during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said there was still a country to run, but assured that he would create opportunities to address Nigerians directly while party leaders mobilise support across the states.
The planned absence has, however, drawn criticism from the opposition.
The Allied Peoples Movement urged the President to campaign in all states or withdraw from the race, while former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, accused Tinubu of avoiding direct engagement with voters.
“Tinubu says he may miss campaign rallies because Nigeria needs his attention. Where was that urgency when Nigerians pleaded for relief? He has had three and a half years to govern. In that time, families have been forced to cut meals, postpone medical care and watch their earnings lose value before they get home.
“Now he wants another mandate. Before asking Nigerians for one, he must face them and account for the first term,” Shaibu said.
The opposition has also linked the President’s limited campaign appearances to concerns about his health, a claim the Presidency has attributed to the need to balance campaigning with governance.