A former presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Charles Udeogaranya, has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend all efforts, either directly or through his allies, towards a 2027 re-election bid and instead focus on delivering good governance to Nigerians.
Udeogaranya, who issued the advice in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, argued that the premature politicking being observed in some quarters not only distracts from the President’s constitutional duty to serve but also violates provisions of Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu needs to go low and silence his 2027 presidential ambition, particularly from his surrogates, which I think is ill-timed,” Udeogaranya said.
“There is time for everything, and now is the time for governance — at least until June 2026. No responsible democracy thrives on endless campaigns at the expense of leadership and development,” he added.
The warning comes just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cautioned political parties and individuals against premature electioneering.
According to INEC, such activities remain illegal until the commission releases an official timetable for the 2027 general elections.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, recently expressed concern over “the growing proliferation of political posters, subtle endorsements, and intensifying verbal confrontations” among key political actors. He reiterated that INEC has not authorised any form of campaigning for 2027.
Joining this sentiment, Udeogaranya, a known advocate of Zikist political ideology, warned that the obsession with re-election in 2027 was already polluting the political environment and distracting from key governance issues across the country, including in states like Anambra.
He noted: “Political hibernation has a place in politics and it should be carefully executed to avoid polluting or heating up the polity, so that governance can enjoy optimum time and attention.”
The former APC chieftain lamented the recurring pattern where elected officials divert public funds and time meant for development into political mobilisation and re-election plans.
“No amount of time is enough for politicians to conduct their trade through more meetings, mobilisations, and refreshments on the same dried purse meant for the people’s welfare.
“Therefore, it must be curtailed to gain more time for governance,” he asserted.
Udeogaranya urged the President and other politicians to respect the sanctity of their mandate by working diligently to fulfil the promises made to Nigerians rather than indulging in what he described as “political gluttony.”
