President Bola Tinubu has faced accusations from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of prematurely initiating his 2027 re-election campaign. These allegations arise amidst a declared state of emergency over insecurity in Nigeria and follow the emergence of a viral video showcasing branded fleets of luxury vehicles, including Hilux trucks, Land Cruisers, and Hummer buses, reportedly earmarked for distribution to political agents across the country.

Both Obi and the ADC condemned the actions as insensitive and a stark contradiction to the declared state of emergency. Peter Obi, in a statement on X, described the act as "insensitive and immoral" at a time when Nigerians are grappling with profound challenges such as hunger, unemployment, and pervasive insecurity. He argued that the allocation of limited public resources for such luxury vehicles for campaign mobilization represents a serious moral failure and a tragic misplacement of priorities. Obi emphasized that leadership, especially during these critical times, should be focused on providing essential services like food for the hungry, healthcare for the sick, hope for the unemployed youth, and security for communities, rather than political theatrics.

Similarly, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary of the ADC, asserted that the distribution of these branded vehicles effectively kick-started President Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid. Abdullahi faulted the president for prioritizing campaign activities while kidnapped citizens languish in captivity and security forces struggle to contain escalating violence. The ADC stated that by launching his re-election campaign under the guise of "Renewed Hope Ambassadors," Tinubu is acting more like a presidential candidate than a president focused on a nation under emergency rule. The party further accused the president of potentially violating the Electoral Act and the INEC timetable, suggesting that the declaration of a security emergency might be a mere gimmick to grab headlines, with his true priority being re-election. The ADC spokesman lamented that while ordinary citizens are being kidnapped, displaced, and killed, the President is focused on building a partisan mobilization structure.

In response, the Presidency dismissed Obi’s claims. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, refuted the allegations, stating that Obi was misinformed and commenting without proper context. Onanuga clarified that the vehicles were distributed to "ambassadors of the Renewed Hope Agenda" in all zones, an initiative led by Governor Hope Uzodimma. He stressed that the purpose of these vehicles was for public enlightenment efforts, enabling credible Nigerians to disseminate President Tinubu’s reform agenda to all parts of the country, and was strictly about "information dissemination, not politics" or partisan mobilization.

Despite the presidency's clarification, the opposition maintains that such lavish expenditures and early campaign activities betray a lack of focus and moral clarity in a time of national crisis. The ADC reiterated that a nation under emergency rule demands extraordinary conduct reflecting its desperate condition. They urged President Tinubu to make a clear choice: either govern under emergency powers with focus and sacrifice, or operate as a candidate on the campaign trail, warning that one path leads to public service and the other to political opportunism.