Tinubu’s Absence Triggers Low Turnout at APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Cross River
Tinubu’s Absence Triggers Low Turnout at APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Cross River
The absence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Cross River State has drawn attention to the level of attendance at the party’s much-publicised political gathering in Calabar on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The rally, organised as part of the APC’s mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election, was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President, alongside the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Governor Bassey Otu, Senator Abdulaziz Yari and other party leaders.
Despite weeks of political mobilisation and expectations of a massive gathering, several sections of the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar were visibly vacant during the event, with a considerable number of seats left unoccupied.
Observations from the stadium also showed that attendees were concentrated in particular sections, while large portions of the facility remained largely empty. This arrangement created a concentrated gathering in the occupied sections, leaving substantial vacant spaces elsewhere in the stadium.
The pattern of attendance and stadium arrangement raised questions about the actual turnout at a rally that had been widely promoted by the state APC leadership as a major demonstration of the party’s political strength in Cross River.
Tinubu’s absence also became a talking point, particularly given the expectations surrounding a presidential campaign rally in a state where the APC leadership has repeatedly expressed confidence in its ability to deliver overwhelming support for the President in 2027.
The President’s absence followed the APC’s decision to have Vice President Shettima represent him at some campaign rallies across the country. According to the party’s campaign arrangements, Tinubu is expected to personally attend rallies in selected states, while other senior party leaders will represent him elsewhere.
The development also came against the background of concerns raised by the National Patriotic Front for Tinubu (NPFFT), a support group that had threatened to suspend its mobilisation activities over what it described as unresolved grievances concerning Cross River’s interests at the federal level.
The group had demanded, among other things, an official presidential visit to the state, restoration of Cross River’s oil-producing status, attention to federal appointments and improved political representation. It also expressed concerns about the arrangements and short notice for the rally.
Before Monday’s event, Governor Otu and other APC stakeholders had intensified mobilisation, with support groups organising activities across the state to demonstrate support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
At the rally, Vice President Shettima urged Cross River residents to support Tinubu’s re-election, highlighting the state’s potential in tourism, agriculture, maritime commerce and regional trade.
Governor Otu had earlier declared that the APC would target all 18 local government areas of Cross River State in the 2027 elections.
However, the visibly vacant sections of the stadium have added another dimension to discussions about the party’s mobilisation capacity and the level of enthusiasm surrounding its presidential campaign in Cross River.
