Barely days to the commencement of electioneering campaigns, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has not launched his policy document as he seeks for votes for the 2023 general elections.
Political parties and their candidates traditionally present manifestoes or policy documents to the voters about their plans and programmes which they intend to implement if elected.
Such policy documents or manifestoes are often launched amidst fanfare, to guide voters on the agenda of the candidate if elected into power.
Surprisingly, Tinubu who won the APC presidential ticket in July, has not launched a manifesto.
A document supposedly prepared by some of his associates went viral on social media but has been disowned by the Tinubu campaign.
A statement to that effect, issued by Tinubu’s campaign spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, read; “Asiwaju Tinubu, in consultation with the party, experts in various fields and a broad section of the populace, through an empirical and evidence-based approach, is working on an all-embracing manifesto that will be presented to Nigerians when it is ready, before the official campaign begins in September.”
During the 2015 and 2019 elections, the APC manifesto and campaigns centred on security, corruption and the economy. For the 2023 polls, Nigerians are anxious to know what the party has to offer differently or in addition to the existing trajectory.
Tinubu met with members of the party’s National Working Committee on Wednesday to discuss his strategies for the 2023 election. The meeting took place at the party secretariat in Abuja behind closed doors.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared September 28, 2022 for the commencement of campaigns for Presidential and National Assembly elections; and October 12, 2022 for the commencement of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns.