Senator Adams Oshiomhole has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) has the right to determine President Bola Tinubu’s level of participation in its 2027 election campaigns, insisting that the President does not need to attend every rally.
Oshiomhole said the President could combine his religious obligations and governance responsibilities without compromising either, dismissing suggestions that his planned absence from some campaign events was inconsistent.
The former Edo State governor spoke during an interview on Arise Television on Friday while responding to questions about Tinubu’s decision to skip some APC rallies and his religious activities in Mecca.
He argued that physical attendance at every political engagement was not necessary for a sitting president to discharge his duties.
“So, I don’t see what the contradiction is. There is none. He didn’t say, ‘I will stop worshipping God, I will stop praying so that I can constitute a governance,’” he said.
Oshiomhole added, “A president is not like a teacher who must be in the classroom. But even now, you can be taught online.”
He faulted repeated questions about Tinubu’s planned absence from some rallies, arguing that the ruling party was entitled to decide where the President would appear during its campaigns.
“Since you are not one of our supporters, you should be happy that the President is not going to go everywhere, and then you try to make a point out of that,” he said.
The senator also expressed frustration with the interviewer over repeated interruptions during the exchange.
“You ask questions, you interject, you interrupt. Look, I am well-travelled and I watch TV stations and I watch TV hosts. There is no contradiction,” he said.
He added, “It is our right, it’s our prerogative to decide where we go, where the President goes and where he doesn’t.”
Tinubu had earlier said he would not attend every APC campaign rally ahead of the 2027 general elections, explaining that he needed to prioritise governance and other national responsibilities.
The President urged party members to take charge of mobilisation across the country, warning against allowing electioneering to distract him from governing.
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