Emergency for citizens, campaign for Tinubu — ADC blasts presidency

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of elevating politics over governance following allegations that his administration has begun laying the groundwork for a 2027 re-election campaign while the country remains under a nationwide state of emergency.

The opposition party argued that the President’s recent distribution of branded vehicles to groups identified as “Renewed Hope Ambassadors” reflects a disturbing contradiction, one that suggests campaign strategy is being prioritised above the suffering of citizens grappling with widespread insecurity.

The ADC, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the development as “a cynically insensitive act” that undermines the very essence of the emergency powers declared by the President.

“These actions make nonsense of the emergency proclamation and portray the President as more preoccupied with retaining power than rescuing a nation under siege,” Abdullahi said.

The party further maintained that launching political mobilisation under emergency rule raises serious concerns about accountability, ethics, and leadership focus, especially when communities remain displaced, children are still in captivity, and security forces continue to struggle against relentless banditry and terrorism.

Moreover, the ADC insisted that the alleged early campaign activities violate electoral regulations and disregard the official timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party called on INEC to “act decisively to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.”

“It should now be part of the country’s political record that the first Nigerian President to declare a nationwide emergency on security became the first to commence a re-election campaign under the same emergency,” the statement added.

The ADC urged President Tinubu to choose governance over political ambition, warning that leadership in times of crisis demands sacrifice, moral clarity, and undivided attention.

“Lavish convoys and early campaign structures are not solutions to national trauma,” Abdullahi noted, stressing that Nigerians deserve visible security reforms rather than symbolic gestures.

The party concluded by calling on the President to “return fully to the business of governance,” insisting that Nigeria cannot afford divided leadership while confronting its most severe security challenges in decades.