Okonkwo Questions Tinubu’s Fitness After President Says He May Skip Campaign Rallies
President Bola Tinubu's decision to scale back his campaign rally appearances has drawn criticism from opposition figures. Kenneth Okonkwo, Atiku Abubakar's spokesperson, questioned Tinubu's fitness for the presidency, interpreting the move as an admission of physical incapacity. Okonkwo urged Nigerians to vote for Atiku, citing the need for a fully capable leader.
President Bola Tinubu’s decision not to attend every campaign rally ahead of the 2027 elections has drawn criticism from Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign. Tinubu made the announcement on Wednesday, October 14, during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, explaining that his responsibilities as president, Nigeria’s financial obligations and the need to attract long-term investors would limit his participation in campaign activities.
He said the council would lead mobilisation across states and local government areas while he continued to engage Nigerians directly. Reacting to the remarks, Okonkwo interpreted the planned absences as a sign of what he described as Tinubu’s physical incapacity and called on the President to resign if he could not withstand the demands of the office and campaign.
Okonkwo also argued that comments by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma about Tinubu concentrating on governance reflected concerns within the ruling party about the President’s ability to campaign nationwide. He suggested that the APC was indirectly acknowledging questions about Tinubu’s health, although neither the President’s announcement nor the cited remarks establish that he is medically unfit for office.
Okonkwo maintained that Nigeria needed a president capable of meeting the demands of the position and warned against what he called an “absentee President.” His criticism was political commentary based on Tinubu’s stated campaign plans, rather than a medical assessment of the President’s condition.
Okonkwo urged Nigerians to support former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC’s presidential candidate, presenting him as an alternative to Tinubu in the 2027 election. His intervention adds to the political debate over how an incumbent president should balance official responsibilities with nationwide campaigning during an election year.
Tinubu, for his part, said he would continue speaking directly to Nigerians while the campaign council carried the APC’s message across the country. The central dispute is whether his planned absence from some rallies reflects a reasonable division of responsibilities or, as Okonkwo alleges, a concern about his capacity; the announcement itself does not resolve that question.