The failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to attend the Presidential rallies of the All Progressives Congress will lead to most Nigerians interpreting his non attendance as him having an issue with the party or its Presidential Candidate.
Associate Editor with TheNation Newspaper, Adekunle Yussuf, disclosed this on the Journalists Hangout Special on Sunday on TVC News.
Adekunle Yussuf in his reaction to the announcement by the All Progressives Congress’s Presidential Campaign Council, said the issue demands a careful look.
He added that the general perception is that the President met a Nigeria that was in crisis and made it worse.
He however said it is a tradition for an outgoing President to work as hard as he can to do his duty of attending rallies of his Political party irrespective of his schedule as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He described the attendance of the President at a rally of the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress is not a favour but a duty that he has to perform to his party.
He described the announcement that President Muhammadu Buhari will be attending only 10 States rallies as not good enough, positing that it should have been more.
He pointed at how hard Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu worked for the President’s Election in 2015 and his 2019 re-election, he also added the example set by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his campaign for the late Umaru Yar’dua as President in 2007.
For his part, Paul Dada, said the presence of the President at the Presidential Campaign rallies of his party, the All Progressives Congress, is a symbolic move that will help in strengthening the party.
He added that the President should have attended all the rallies for the party’s Presidential candidate.
He said the 10 State rallies the President will be attending is too small, pointing at places like Kano as rallies the President should have attended and not missed since it is the stronghold of the APC and also has the highest voter turnout.
He however described the States the President will be campaigning as very strategic places for the All Progressives Congress and its Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Babajide Kolade-Otitoju who joined the programme virtually from Yola the Adamawa State Capital said the President Muhammadu Buhari still remains a hugely popular figure despite the challenges he has faced in his years in office.
He added that insecurity has been the major challenge that has cut the popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He disclosed that the presence of the President on the campaign trail is a very important one that must be accomplished since the Presidential election comes first.
He however said their is no law compelling the President to attend all the campaigns but added that the obligation was moral for the President to attend the party’s Presidential rallies.
