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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed concerns about the substance of President Bola Tinubu’s address at its Kaduna campaign rally, arguing that the event was not intended for detailed policy discussions.
Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said the president’s appearance was meant to acknowledge supporters and encourage them to sustain their backing ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on ARISE News on Tuesday, Morka responded to questions about whether Tinubu’s remarks at the Saturday, October 24, rally were underwhelming.
He maintained that the president could have fulfilled the objective of the gathering with a brief message of appreciation rather than an extensive address.
“All the president needed to do was to show up and say to the people in Kaduna, ‘Thank you for your hospitality, I appreciate your support, please do so again in 2027.’ If that’s all he said, he did the job,” Morka said.
The APC spokesman explained that campaign rallies were primarily opportunities for political mobilisation and interaction with supporters, not forums for detailed discussions on government policies.
“A campaign rally of that kind in Kaduna is not a policy dialogue where speeches should be given,” he said.
Morka added that even a simple gesture of appreciation from Tinubu would have served the purpose of the gathering.
“Even if the president came there and danced and said to the people, ‘I appreciate you, thank you so much,’ and left the stage, he had done the job,” he added.
He also argued that those who planned the rally were better placed to determine whether it had achieved its intended objectives. According to him, the event brought together party leaders, members, supporters and other well-wishers to welcome the president.
At the Kaduna rally, Tinubu criticised opposition figures who had attributed the country’s hunger and poverty to his administration.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger. They created the poverty we are trying to eradicate,” the president said.
Tinubu also defended his government’s performance, pointing to salary payments and the activities of APC governors.
“We pay salaries regularly. Our governors are working. I am proud of them. They are developing,” he said.
The president appealed to Nigerians to support his bid for another term, pledging further prosperity and development if re-elected.
“To you, the children of our country, it is a promise of second-term prosperity. You will not regret going to vote,” Tinubu said.
