DISTRIBUTION OF VEHICLES: Has Tinubu kick-started 2027 election campaign before INEC’s whistle?

*ADC slams him: “You behave more like political candidate than President”

*Attitude insensitive – Peter Obi

By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTERS

“This is not governance. It reflects a profound insensitivity and an abuse of public trust disguised as a political strategy. It betrays the essence of public service, which should always be about serving the people rather than staging political publicity.”

Amidst widespread criticisms that he is more engrossed in playing politics than providing governance, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly begun large-scale mobilisation for the 2027 general elections by distributing new vehicles, thus vindicating those that had since 2023 portrayed him as starting politics of 2027 in 2023 at a time he should prepare how to achieve an effective government.

The vehicles included Toyota Hilux trucks, Hummer buses and Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs, which he distributed to state coordinators of a political support group known as the Renewed Hope Ambassadors.

The vehicles were said to have been handed over in Abuja to coordinators from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. According to insiders, the movement is being directed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is described as the head of the nationwide mobilisation effort.

Sources claim that each state coordinator received a set of high-end vehicles intended to boost grassroots political operations ahead of the 2027 elections. Observers say the move signals an early push to strengthen support for President Tinubu long before the official campaign season begins.

In addition to the vehicle distribution, state coordinators were reportedly told that each state is expected to raise one billion naira to support the political network. The funds are said to be intended for campaign logistics, outreach activities and local mobilisation. Some members within the structure have reportedly expressed concern about the demand, calling it unrealistic and insensitive at a time of economic hardship.

The development has sparked public criticism due to the worsening insecurity across the country. Nigeria continues to face a surge in kidnappings, armed attacks and displacement in several regions. Critics argue that distributing luxury vehicles for political mobilisation while citizens face serious security challenges reflects misplaced priorities. Some insiders also warned that the timing could provoke public anger and deepen distrust in government actions.

Analysts note that several questions remain unanswered, including whether the vehicles were funded privately or with public resources and whether the contributions requested from states comply with election financing guidelines. The early mobilisation effort is expected to draw increased scrutiny as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

ADC reacts

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised the President for allegedly kick-starting his 2027 re-election bid while the country remains under a state of emergency, saying he behaves more like political candidate than President and calling it a cynically insensitive action that makes nonsense of the emergency declaration itself.

In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC criticised the President’s distribution of branded vehicles to campaign agents across the country even as kidnapped citizens languish in captivity and security forces struggle to contain escalating violence and banditry.

The ADC stated that by launching his re-election campaign under the guise of “Renewed Hope Ambassadors”, Tinubu was acting more like a presidential candidate focused on re-election than a President of a beleaguered nation under emergency rule, with worsening security crises engulfing the country.

The party also alleged that the President’s action was a patent violation of the Electoral Act and the INEC timetable.

The statement read, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply appalled by reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has distributed fleets of Hilux trucks, Land Cruisers, and Hummer buses to political agents across the country, thereby effectively kick-starting his 2027 re-election bid.”

“Coming at a time when Nigeria remains under a declared state of emergency due to the worsening crisis of insecurity, this action confirms that the President’s declaration of security emergency was a mere gimmick to grab newspaper headlines and means nothing to a President whose priority remains his re-election.

“While ordinary citizens are being kidnapped, displaced, and killed, the President is handing out branded vehicles and building a partisan mobilisation structure. Entire communities are living under siege, our armed forces are stretched thin, yet the ruling party is preparing for rallies. At a time when children are being kidnapped, and countless communities are under attack, the President is focused on re-election, seeking to continue presiding over a nation that has become more diminished, more fractured, and more dangerous than he met it.”

Peter Obi reacts

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has described the distribution of campaign buses for the reelection of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 a profoundly insensitive and an abuse of trust.

The former two-term governor of Anambra State said this in a statement he released on his X handle on Wednesday.

Obi said: “At a time when Nigerians are struggling with hunger, unemployment, and insecurity, the decision of any government to allocate limited public resources for distributing luxury vehicles like Hilux trucks and Hummer buses as part of the 2027 campaign mobilisation is not only insensitive but also represents a serious moral failure.

“While ordinary Nigerians are grappling with poverty and hopelessness, those in leadership positions continue to flaunt their wealth by driving brand-new Land Cruisers, Hiluxes, and Hummers, treating the suffering of the people as mere background for political theatrics. This tragic misplacement of priorities is unacceptable.

“Leadership, especially in these challenging times, should focus on providing food for the hungry, ensuring access to healthcare for the sick, restoring hope for millions of unemployed youth, and securing our communities. It should not be about parading luxury vehicles or campaigning for votes.

“It is disheartening that, at a time when children are dropping out of school because their families cannot afford tuition fees, when mothers are dying during childbirth due to a lack of basic medical supplies, and when insecurity is tearing families apart, the response from those in power is to purchase and distribute luxury vehicles rather than urgently addressing the needs of the people.

“This is not governance. It reflects a profound insensitivity and an abuse of public trust disguised as a political strategy. It betrays the essence of public service, which should always be about serving the people rather than staging political publicity.

“At times like this, we must recognise that Nigeria cannot continue on a path of wastefulness, insensitivity, and misplaced priorities. Our citizens deserve leadership grounded in empathy, prudence, and accountability. Regardless of how bleak the situation may appear today, I firmly believe that a New Nigeria is not only necessary; it is possible.”