From 12 States To All 36 States: Tinubu Forced To Expand Campaign As Atiku’s Sokoto Rally Shakes APC

President Bola Tinubu is set to substantially revise his initial plan to personally campaign in only 12 states, with the possibility of extending his tour to all 36 states of the federation ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

The new thinking in the President’s camp is already showing. Tinubu is visiting Jigawa State today for an APC presidential campaign rally in Dutse and the inauguration of four development projects, with Ibadan in the coming days also on his itinerary.

The expansion has been forced by political developments across northern Nigeria, particularly the growing visibility of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate.

Atiku’s impressive public reception during the formal commencement of his campaign in Sokoto on November 4, and his Kebbi rally, have put the presidency on alert.

The ADC interpreted the large Sokoto gathering as evidence of growing discontent with the Tinubu administration and increasing acceptance of Atiku’s promise to make life more affordable.

Apart from Atiku, the challenge posed by Mr. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Seyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), as well as growing displeasure over economic hardship and insecurity in sections of the north, has also forced the adjustment.

With nearly 63 per cent of Tinubu’s 2023 presidential votes coming from the 19 northern states, the battle to retain that support has become central to his second term ambition.

The development has raised questions of whether the president can afford to delegate much of his northern campaign to governors, ministers, and other party leaders, when his principal opponent is personally engaging communities where economic hardship and insecurity have become sensitive political issues.

Tinubu’s recent campaign activity has already demonstrated that the original 12-state schedule is not immutable. On November 6, he attended a political rally in Akwa Ibom State, which was outside the 12 states earmarked for his personal appearances, before proceeding to Rivers on November 7.

Although there has been no formal announcement expanding his itinerary, the Akwa Ibom and Rivers appearances suggest that additional presidential appearances remain a practical possibility.

The greater consideration, however, is not merely the number of states Tinubu visits, but what he intends to achieve in those states — directly engaging voters in the region that played a decisive role in his emergence as president in 2023.