2027: Umrah won’t guarantee Tinubu second term — Phrank Shaibu

By Adegboyega Adeleye The Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, has said President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Saudi Arabia for Umrah will not guarantee his re-election in 2027. Shaibu criticised the President’s religious pilgrimage, saying a second term in office could not be secured through spiritual claims.

The spokesperson for ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. Shaibu said visiting the holy land should be a personal affair rather than a national event, accusing Tinubu’s supporters of politicising the pilgrimage. He also questioned the President’s sincerity of faith, arguing that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, would not remain in custody if Tinubu genuinely practised what he professed.

Shaibu further criticised Tinubu for speaking into a microphone in Saudi Arabia while Nigerians were struggling with economic hardship. He dismissed the administration’s claims of economic improvement, saying many Nigerians continued to face difficult living conditions. According to him, Nigerians would remember the President’s prayers in Mecca alongside the high cost of food, goods and services.

Asked whether Atiku would have accompanied Tinubu to Saudi Arabia if invited, Shaibu said the former vice-president had sponsored the President’s first trip to Mecca. On Atiku’s chances in the 2027 presidential election across the northern states, the ADC campaign spokesman expressed confidence in the former vice-president’s prospects, saying he was “home and dry” in the region.

Tinubu departed Abuja for Makkah on October 29 to perform Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people. Speaking to journalists after completing the religious rites, the President described the pilgrimage as a fulfilling spiritual experience and an opportunity to pray for the country. Tinubu said he had asked God for wisdom and resilience to continue leading Nigerians, expressing confidence that his prayers had been answered.

“Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that has been granted,” he said. The President recalled performing Umrah before the 2023 election, saying he had returned to thank Allah for granting his earlier prayer. “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.

“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,’” he added. Tinubu said he believed God had favoured him by granting him the opportunity to lead Nigeria. “So, I have faith in that and believe extremely well that he has done me a favour to be the President of this great country,” he said.