President Bola Tinubu on Saturday launched his bid for a second term at a mega campaign rally, defending his administration’s economic record and accusing political opponents of creating the hunger and poverty they now cite to criticize his government.
Speaking at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign in Kaduna, President Tinubu urged Nigerians to renew his mandate in the 2027 election, describing their vote as a choice between continuity and what he portrayed as an opposition without a credible programme.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did,” Tinubu told supporters.
“They created the hunger. They created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it.”
The President sought to counter criticism of the cost-of-living pressures that have followed his administration’s removal of petrol subsidies and other economic reforms.
He cited the regular payment of salaries by the federal government and APC-led state governments as evidence of stability, and praised party governors for their development efforts.
“Our opponents are angry because they are failures,” Tinubu said.
“They have nothing to offer you but a mere claim. We have prosperity, consistency, growth, recovery and opportunity.”
He also defended the end of fuel subsidies, saying the policy belonged to the past, and pledged to confront corruption, fraudulent invoicing and the smuggling of wealth.
President Tinubu thanked Kaduna voters for supporting him in the 2023 presidential election and asked them to back APC candidates across the presidential, gubernatorial, National Assembly and state legislature contests.
He urged eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, saying their ballots would determine Nigeria’s political direction.
“Your prosperity is here. Your future is in your hands,” he said.
NewsQuest reports that the Kaduna rally marks the formal start of the APC’s campaign for the 2027 general election, as Tinubu seeks to convert his economic-reform agenda into a second four-year term.
