The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the appointments of Renewed Hope Agenda Ambassadors and distribution of vehicles was not related to early campaigning ahead of the 2027 elections.
The APC spokesperson, Alhaji Bala Ibrahim, stated this in response to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who accused President Bola Tinubu of contravening the Electoral Act and the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
They parties had accused Tinubu of abandoning governance at a time insecurity was on the rise and Nigerians were still facing hardship and were instead engaging in 2027 re-election campaign.
They accused the presidency of deception with the language used to describe the mandate of the RHA, adding that the project was actually an early campaign structure. The vehicles, they claimed, were essentially campaign assets being deployed at a time the Tinubu administration should be concentrating on governance.
But the APC denied that the President did not violate any provision of the Electoral Act by naming the RHA ambassadors and distributing vehicles with branded colours and images of Tinubu.
According to the APC spokesperson, the vehicles and the activities of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors were normal political engagement, adding that a party in power has the right to organise, mobilise and stabilise its base.
Ibrahim said the Renewed Hope Ambassadors were appointed to rebuild public confidence at a time when many Nigerians are expressing doubts about government performance, adding that those interpreting the gesture as election-related were merely speculating, insisting that nothing about the vehicles indicates a 2027 agenda.
He said “it’s not a violation of the electoral act. You see, a government in power, or a party in power, has the right to politick, has the right to ginger the system in preparation for the coming election. That is not to say it is going to do something at variance with the provision of the electoral act.
“It has a duty to continue telling the people, or doing that which will keep the party relevant in the minds of the people. And by extension, that is what the Renewed Hope Ambassadors are doing.
“They are people who are supposed to reach out to the grassroots, especially at this time, when there is a lot of anger and doubt in the minds of the people which regards the performance indices of the government.
“So, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors are there to renew the confidence of the people with regards to the performance of the government, not campaigning for 2027. No, it’s too early,” he said.
