APC campaign flag-off: Opposition, ruling party disagree on Tinubu's health, low turnout

The All Progressives Congress, APC, 2027 presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna State has continued to generate controversy, with opposition parties questioning President Bola Tinubu’s popularity and fitness to lead the country.

DAILY POST reports that President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign was officially flagged off at the Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna State on Saturday.

However, photographs and video clips from the event have sparked widespread criticism, particularly over the President’s conduct and the alleged low turnout of supporters.

While opposition leaders have urged Tinubu to abandon his re-election bid, citing concerns over his alleged ill health, as purportedly shown in a viral video, and declining popularity, the ruling APC has dismissed the claims.

Alleged health crisis

On Sunday, a video showing Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, allegedly placing a substance suspected to be pills into the mouth of President Tinubu went viral on social media.

In the footage, the First Lady could be seen placing the substance in the President’s mouth while he remained seated.

The video sparked speculation about the President’s physical condition, with some viewers claiming that he appeared unable to move one of his hands freely.

Opposition figures who reacted to the video alleged that the President could be battling an undisclosed medical condition and should take a break from politics.

Calling on Tinubu to step aside and seek urgent medical attention, the opposition figures argued that the President’s alleged health challenges could affect his capacity to handle the demands of governing the country.

You need medication, not campaign – Atiku’s aide, Ibe

Reacting to the video, Paul Ibe, media aide to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, urged President Tinubu to abandon his re-election bid and seek medical attention.

Ibe said the President was medically unfit to lead the country.

Speaking with DAILY POST on Sunday, Ibe urged the President’s family to prioritise his well-being and take proper care of him instead of moving him around for campaigns.

He said, “Tinubu is sick and needs medical care. His family should take an honourable decision in the interest of their husband and father and pull him out to give him medical attention.

“Medical care is what Tinubu needs now, not the campaign. If you watch the viral video, you will see him shaking. That’s not a man who is well.

“If you noticed, they were deliberate about how they manipulated their cameras. No camera zoomed in on him. Most of the time he was talking, the camera did not show him.”

Nigeria must stop using its Presidency to treat sick people – Sowore

On his part, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, insisted that President Tinubu was battling a health crisis, arguing that Nigeria needed a more vibrant leader.

Sowore, an activist, said although he had no power to prevent anyone, including himself, from falling ill, Nigeria needed leaders whose health conditions were verifiable and reliable.

He dismissed the ruling party’s claims that Tinubu was hale and hearty, describing such assurances as lies that would eventually expire.

“Here is Remi Tinubu popping what appear to be pills into Tinubu’s mouth during the Kaduna rally.

“This man is sick, I insist. Nigeria must stop using its Presidency to treat sick people,” he said.

However, the APC pushed back against the claims, insisting that the President is healthy and capable of piloting the affairs of the nation.

God is in charge of everybody’s health – APC founding member, Osita Okechukwu

A founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, Osita Okechukwu, has pushed back against opposition remarks concerning Tinubu’s health.

Speaking in an interview with DAILY POST, Okechukwu said it was not in African culture to speak ill of another person’s health, stressing that God remained in control of everyone’s well-being.

According to him, the President was well and was seeking votes from Nigerians for a second term.

He said, “There is a saying in my village that harmattan is approaching and everybody pointed at a dried tree and said that it was going to fall.

“The harmattan eventually came and passed, but it was the fresh tree that fell, not the dried one.

“It is not the culture of Africans to talk about somebody’s health in that manner, except you are a medical expert and Mr President is your patient.

“I find it disturbing that people are talking about somebody’s health like that. If the President says he is fine and he is asking Nigerians to vote for him for a second tenure, I think we should listen to him.

“If we have anything to talk about, it should be about an issue-based campaign, not about his health. It is only the Almighty God that is in charge of all our health.

“I have seen people who go to bed healthy but couldn’t wake up. I dislike that kind of talk from the opposition. I don’t know if there is any culture that supports people speculating about another person’s health.”

Kaduna APC campaign a failure – Opposition

The opposition also questioned President Tinubu’s popularity in the North, alleging that the Ranchers Bees Stadium in Kaduna State was largely empty during the APC presidential campaign flag-off.

Popular political commentator, Isaac Fayose claimed that the ruling party brought supporters from different parts of the country, including Delta State, but still failed to fill what he described as a 5,000-capacity stadium.

“If you see the APC campaign in Kaduna today, you will know that the party is gone. Everybody hates them now. The governor used a stadium that has only 5,000 capacity, and even with that, they were not able to fill it.

“They have finished the country, and the people are rejecting them everywhere,” he said.

Similarly, Paul Ibe told DAILY POST that the ruling party allegedly tried to conceal the poor turnout by restricting camera angles at the venue.

“The reason the camera did not show Tinubu is because of the crowd. They were trying to manage the situation. They didn’t want to advertise the empty stadium.

“They were using pictures from Buhari’s campaign in the past for their propaganda, but people have debunked it,” he said.

However, the former VON DG, Okechukwu, disagreed with the opposition, insisting that the stadium was overflowing.

Contrary to the opposition’s claim, Okechukwu described the rally as a success, stating that he did not see the low turnout being alleged.

“The rally turnout was very great. The stadium was filled up. Governor Sani, whom I know, would have preferred the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, but it is under repair and there is no way they could complete it before the rally. That was why they used the Ranchers Bees Stadium.

“I did not see anything like poor attendance. One of the media people showed people outside the stadium who could not get into the main venue,” he said.

He, however, urged Northerners not to be swayed by those advocating for a northern presidential candidate, arguing that the ADC candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had breached the unwritten power-sharing agreement between the North and South.

“My northern brothers should understand that those marketing Atiku Abubakar as if he is a northern candidate are not friends of the North.

“Nobody should preach the gospel of ‘this is our son’. The son is breaching the understanding reached at the beginning of the Fourth Republic,” he added.