2027: Going for Umrah won’t guarantee Tinubu second term - Atiku’s camp

The Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, has asserted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for Umrah will not secure his re-election in 2027.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, November 2,  Shaibu criticized the President’s trip, arguing that political mandates cannot be earned through spiritual posturing.

He maintained that performing holy rites should remain a personal devotional matter rather than being publicized as a national event by political supporters.

Shaibu also questioned the administration's policy direction and sincerity, claiming that ordinary Nigerians continue to endure severe economic hardship despite the government's optimistic projections.

He contended that citizens would measure their 2027 electoral choices against the high cost of living rather than presidential prayers abroad.

When asked whether opposition figure Atiku Abubakar would have joined Tinubu in Saudi Arabia if extended an invitation, Shaibu claimed that the former vice-president had historically supported Tinubu's earlier travels to Mecca.

Expressing strong optimism regarding Atiku's political standing across the northern states, the ADC spokesman declared that the candidate remains "home and dry" in the region.

President Tinubu departed Abuja for Makkah on October 29 to perform Umrah, describing the journey as a fulfilling spiritual opportunity to seek divine guidance, wisdom, and resilience for governing the country.

Recalling a similar pilgrimage prior to the 2023 elections, the President stated that he returned to express gratitude to Almighty God for answered prayers.

“Prior to the 2023 election, I did the same thing. I asked Allah to bless my Umrah then. He did, and I promised that I would come back to thank him, Almighty Allah,” Tinubu said, adding: “There is no other God but him. He is the giver and the taker. He owns the power. He said, ‘Use it well. If you don’t use it in accordance with my dictates, I can take it from you and give it to another person.’”