President Bola Tinubu has signalled he will skip some campaign rallies ahead of the 2027 presidential election, citing the demands of governing Nigeria. But the announcement has renewed questions about his health and whether he can sustain the rigours of another four-year term.
Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu said the country needed his attention even as the ruling party mobilised support for his re-election.
“Nigeria needs more attention now than ever before. The responsibility of this office does not pause,” he said.
He urged party leaders to take charge of grassroots mobilisation, promising to find opportunities to address Nigerians directly.
“The job must go on,” he said, adding that Nigeria had bills to pay and needed to attract investors.
“We have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” he said.
The campaign council includes key political figures, among them Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and opposition Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra.
He did not specify how many rallies he would miss or who would represent him. The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential election for January 16, 2027 and campaigns have been on since August.
A recurring question
Tinubu’s announcement comes barely two weeks after his return from an extended overseas trip, against a backdrop of persistent questions about his physical fitness.
Tinubu’s health has been a subject of public debate since the 2023 presidential campaign, when his appearance and occasional speech difficulties prompted questions about his fitness for office.
The controversy intensified during his latest overseas trip. He left Nigeria on August 30 for what aides described as a three-week working holiday in London and Paris. The trip extended beyond its planned September 20 conclusion, and he returned to Lagos on September 29.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at state functions and led Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly.
Critics questioned why Tinubu had not formally transferred presidential functions to his deputy under Section 145 of the Constitution. Presidential candidate Peter Obi publicly asked about his whereabouts, while candidate Omoyele Sowore claimed on national television on September 28 that the president was receiving medical treatment in France.
Tinubu’s media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, described him as “hale and hearty”. On his return, the president dismissed the speculation, declaring: “Ready to kick, ready to work, there is nothing wrong.”
A Council on Foreign Relations commentary published on October 5 also examined concerns surrounding Tinubu’s overseas trips and reported falls in public, including incidents in June 2024 and January 2026. Such episodes have fuelled speculation but do not establish a medical diagnosis or demonstrate that he is unable to perform his duties.
“The inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council has finally exposed Tinubu’s physical incapacity to embark on the onerous task of a presidential campaign,” Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organization, wrote on X.
“I agree that the President should step down from the post of President because he is unwell so that Nigeria will be governed by a fit and proper President.”
At 74, Tinubu is seeking a second term that would keep him in office into his eighties. He has previously spent extended periods abroad for medical reasons, including a stay of about three months in London in 2021 for knee surgery.
Why it matters
The presidency requires sustained attention to national security, the economy, diplomacy and emergencies. The issue, therefore, is not simply whether Tinubu can attend rallies across Nigeria’s 36 states, but whether he can consistently discharge the responsibilities of the office.
Nigeria has experienced the consequences of uncertainty surrounding a president’s health. Former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s prolonged illness created a constitutional and political crisis over who was exercising presidential authority, highlighting the importance of clear arrangements for continuity of government.
Section 145 of the Constitution provides for the vice-president to discharge presidential functions when the president formally declares an inability to perform his duties or proceeds on vacation. Section 144 establishes a process for determining permanent incapacity.
No law requires presidential candidates to publish their medical records. That leaves voters weighing official assurances against speculation, often without sufficient independently verifiable information.
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