President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that while he does not intend to engage in early campaigning, no politician worth his salt would remain silent in the face of an organised effort to remove him from office.
The president’s remarks come amid growing momentum of the activities to unseat him in 2027 by a coalition of opposition heavyweights, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); former Senate President David Mark; and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), among others.
Since its formation in March, the opposition coalition’s activities have dominated public discourse, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) accused of trying to frustrate its efforts by sowing discord among member parties and using incentives and pressure tactics to lure key figures into its fold. Notably, the governors of Delta and Akwa Ibom and the three senators from Kebbi State are among the prominent opposition leaders who have defected to the APC in recent weeks.
Despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having yet to officially lift the ban on campaigning, Tinubu has received a wave of endorsements from within his party—a move some critics have described as a flagrant violation of the Electoral Act.
Speaking during a one-day working visit to Nasarawa State on Wednesday, President Tinubu echoed the position of his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stating that the APC’s political responses were a reaction to the opposition’s premature moves.
Praising Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa for what he described as impactful governance, Tinubu said, “I see hard work from A.A. Sule, determined to use the resources available to him for the benefit and stability of Nasarawa State. Sule is doing well because Bola Tinubu is doing well too.
“Those who triggered early politics through this so-called coalition—don’t pay them any attention. They are political activists; don’t give them a home. Hope is here. Sule is doing well, and we will support whatever initiative he brings to ensure the prosperity of Nasarawa State. That’s what we stand for.”
He added, “I’m not ready for what they are trying to impose on me—an early political campaign. But who is a politician that will keep quiet when gangsterism is forming a coalition to unseat him?”
Coming just days after El-Rufai delivered another scathing assessment of the Tinubu administration while citing reasons behind the coalition’s push to oust the president in 2027, Tinubu’s remarks are seen as the latest escalation in the war of words between the presidency and opposition figures.
Analysts believe the exchange is setting the tone for what may become a highly charged political contest ahead of the 2027 general election.
