President Bola Tinubu does not have to be physically present at every campaign rally to demonstrate his commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has said.
Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North in the Senate, likened the President’s responsibility to that of a teacher who could deliver lessons online, arguing that physical attendance at every engagement was not a requirement for effective leadership.
He made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Friday while defending Tinubu’s decision to stay away from some APC campaign rallies ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The senator also dismissed suggestions that the President’s religious activities, including his planned spiritual engagements in Mecca, conflicted with his responsibility to govern the country.
“So, I don’t see what the contradiction is. There is none. He didn’t say, ‘I will stop worshipping God, I will stop praying so that I can constitute a governance,’” Oshiomhole said.
He maintained that the President’s participation in campaign activities was a matter of discretion, insisting that physical presence at every political gathering was not the only way to demonstrate support for the party.
“A president is not like a teacher who must be in the classroom. But even now, you can be taught online,” he said.
Oshiomhole further argued that the APC had the authority to determine the structure of its campaign activities and decide which rallies required the President’s attendance.
He faulted what he described as repeated attempts to portray Tinubu’s absence from some campaign events as a political or governance contradiction, insisting that the matter had been sufficiently discussed.
“Since you are not one of our supporters, you should be happy that the President is not going to go everywhere, and then you try to make a point out of that,” he told the interviewer.
The exchange became heated when the senator accused the television host of repeatedly interrupting him while he was responding to questions about the President’s campaign schedule.
“You ask questions, you interject, you interrupt. Look, I am well-travelled and I watch TV stations and I watch TV hosts. There is no contradiction,” he said.
He reiterated that deciding where the President would appear during the party’s campaigns remained the prerogative of the APC.
“It’s our right, it’s our prerogative to decide where we go, where the President goes and where he doesn’t,” Oshiomhole added.
