… APC Spokesman tackles ACF on propaganda allegations.
… Party should focus on performance, not propaganda—ACF.
By Jeremy Fregene
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has stoutly rebuffed allegations by the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, that it is deploying propaganda as a tool of governance and embarked on electioneering campaigns, with general elections nearly two years away.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), had for the second time in three days, yesterday attacked the party and its leaders for commencing early campaigns for the 2027 polls and called on the ruling APC and President Bola Tinubu’s administration to shift attention from propaganda and focus on solving the worsening security and economic challenges facing Nigerians.
Speaking yesterday, ACF Spokesperson, Tukur Mohammed-Baba, had condemned the proliferation of posters of President Tinubu in cities like Abuja and Lagos, urging the ruling party to prioritise performance over propaganda.
But in a stout rebuttal, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, told this newspaper exclusively that, “Clearly, the ACF is confusing routine and legitimate activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for political campaigns. President Tinubu remains focused on governing Nigeria and actualizing the Renewed Hope Agenda in every sector of our national life with focus and determination never before seen, and will not be distracted by self-promoting quibbles of any political opposition or association.”
He dismissed ACF’s views that the current administration is more invested in propaganda than on performance, pointing out that it is firmly within the remit of the party and its supporters to highlight the achievements of the administration. This, he insisted, is a legitimate activity, not propaganda.
According to him, “In two years, President Bola Tinubu has done more to tackle the root causes of Nigeria’s economic stagnation than any other President before him, with increasingly self-evident results. Our country’s economy is rebounding nicely with important macroeconomic indicators looking up, and food inflation now on the downward slide.
“Arewa Consultative Forum’s (ACF) suggestion that the administration was engaged in a premature campaign at the expense of governance is utterly disingenuous and misdirected,” he told KTH.ng
In his interview, Mohammed-Baba had described APC posters and billboards ahead of the 2027 elections as premature, labeling them as a sign of “desperation” and a “distraction” from governance.
He said: “It’s disappointing. We thought there were more pressing issues than the campaign posters all over. They have sprung up in the streets, on billboards, and everywhere, but we think there are more pressing issues.
“What will sell any party is not posters; it will be their performance in office or, if they are coming for the first time, their promises and how people assess them,” he said.
“It shows a party desperate for propaganda, for communication, so that the issues at hand are confused with what needs to be done,” he said.
“We’ve taken our eyes off governance, off performance, and we are now putting it under the intention to campaign, and it’s very unfortunate.”
The ACF’s criticism comes after the emergence of posters promoting President Tinubu’s re-election. This sparked debate about the appropriateness of such activities, given that the official campaign season is yet to begin and it’s just two years into the current administration in office.
Mohammed-Baba dismissed claims by APC supporters that the posters were the work of independent actors, asserting that the scale and coordination of the materials indicate a deliberate campaign.
“In general, I think the party should not try to play with the intelligence of the electorate by saying, ‘Oh, we have not started the campaign; these are done by people on their own.’
“It’s not true; it doesn’t make sense. There is a campaign going on, and it’s very serious,” he stated.
Addressing the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in regulating such activities, Mohammed-Baba acknowledged the challenges posed by the informal nature of the campaigns.
“There is definitely a role for the electoral commission, but of course, it depends on how the campaign is being mounted.
“It’s easy to deny that ‘now we have not formally declared a campaign; we just talk about statements of intention, declaration of support by supporters,’ and so on. But let’s face it, it is a campaign in full swing,” he said.
The ACF’s remarks come amid growing support within the APC for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, with endorsements from party caucuses and the Progressive Governors’ Forum and others in recent weeks.
In May, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
Akpabio led a delegation of National Assembly leadership to back Tinubu for the 2027 general elections at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Summit and argued that if Tinubu had not done well in office within the last two years, the lawmakers would have given him a notice of impeachment.
However, Mohammed-Baba clarified that the ACF has not endorsed any candidate, debunking reports suggesting otherwise.
“The ACF has not endorsed anybody,” he stated, addressing speculations about the forum’s position.