Nigerian President Bola Tinubu formally launched his second-term campaign at a rally in the northwestern state of Kaduna on Saturday, dismissing criticism of his economy as the country faces a cost-of-living crisis. According to DW, the launch comes ahead of the January 2027 polls.
The rally was Tinubu’s first campaign event, according to Africanews. Premium Times (NG) described it as the APC campaign flag-off, reporting that musicians entertained supporters while they chanted praise for governors and Tinubu.
At the rally, Tinubu said: "I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did." DW reported the remark. These are Tinubu’s own assertions, and the sources reviewed do not include a response from his opponents.
In his Independence Day address, Tinubu argued that his reform "did not create the weaknesses in our economy" but "confronted them," according to DW.
After taking power in 2023, Tinubu scrapped decades-long fuel subsidies. DW says that move has fueled Nigeria’s inflation. The government later announced potential fuel price caps, but the timing and terms of those caps are not confirmed in the sources.
DW also reports that in the 2023 election, Tinubu won less than 36.6% of valid votes, with Atiku Abubakar at 29% and Peter Obi at 25.4%. Abubakar is a former Vice President and Obi a former state governor. Both are expected to be Tinubu’s main challengers in the coming contest.
Security is also a concern. DW reports that on Friday, gunmen killed at least 20 people in an attack on a village in the northeast, amid ongoing armed banditry and a jihadist insurgency. No official toll beyond "at least 20" has been provided, and no government response is reported.
The January 2027 presidential election is the next milestone, and the campaign is expected to focus on the economy and security.
Gaps remain in the reporting. The sources do not include any opposition or ADC response, and the ADC criticism mentioned in the story brief is not detailed in any source. The Africanews and Premium Times accounts are based only on headlines and short excerpts, so the crowd size and any policy content from the rally are not known.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.