The Presidency has distanced itself from billboards promoting the 2027 presidential campaign of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing them as unauthorized and unlawful.
According to a statement issued on Saturday, April 13, by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency expressed dismay over the increasing number of 2027 campaign materials seen in major cities like Abuja and Kano.
Some of the billboards reportedly feature images of the President alongside his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
While acknowledging the passion and loyalty of supporters nationwide, the statement warned that premature campaigns violate Nigeria’s electoral laws.
“President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima greatly appreciate their teeming and loyal supporters across the country for their enthusiasm and continuing support,” Onanuga said. “However, the two leaders do not support any campaign that breaches the laws of the land.”
He added that the current electoral law prohibits any form of campaigning ahead of the official timetable set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Premature campaigning can undermine the integrity of the electoral process and create unfair advantages. As law-abiding leaders, President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima do not support any action that undermines our institutions and the electoral process,” he stressed.
The Presidency clarified that neither the President nor the Vice President has authorized any person or group to initiate a 2027 campaign on their behalf through any platform—be it billboards, print, radio, television, or online media.
“We urgently call on individuals and groups funding this 2027 political campaign through the ongoing deployment of materials on billboards nationwide to cease immediately,” the statement read.
Onanuga emphasized that Tinubu and Shettima remain focused on their core agenda of national development, stating, “President Tinubu and his deputy are fully committed to delivering the ongoing task of nation-building… evident in their focus on economic revitalisation, human capital development, infrastructural renewal, social investment, and national security.”
The statement concluded by reassuring Nigerians that when INEC announces the start of the 2027 electoral process, the President will publicly declare his intentions in accordance with the law.
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