Ibrahim Masari warns that distancing campaigns from the President’s image is political suicide, dismissing claims that the Nigerian leader is a liability in the North.
President Bola Tinubu’s political adviser, Ibrahim Masari, has drawn a hard line for All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the North, sternly warning them against omitting the President’s photograph from their campaign materials ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a high-stakes political gathering in Katsina State, Masari dismissed the growing trend among some northern aspirants to sideline the President’s image. Rumors had swirled that certain candidates feared an association with Tinubu might alienate voters frustrated by ongoing economic reforms. Masari, however, labeled this strategy a fatal political miscalculation.
“To think you can distance yourself from the head of the party and still win is a grave mistake,” Masari told party faithful.
The warning directly counters whispered strategy sessions in several northern states, where opposition figures and cautious incumbents have debated whether the President’s tough macroeconomic policies—such as the removal of fuel subsidies and floating of the naira—have dented his regional popularity. Masari’s intervention makes it clear that the party leadership expects absolute loyalty and visibility for the President on every campaign flyer, billboard, and poster.
To reinforce the hierarchy of the ruling party, Masari drew a direct line from Abuja to the grassroots in Katsina.
“The APC at the national level belongs to Malam Bala Tanimu Ashiru—meaning President Bola Tinubu Asiwaju—while in Katsina State, it is led by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda,” he declared to cheering supporters.
Political analysts note that Masari’s hardline stance underscores the anxieties within the ruling party as the 2027 polls approach. With opposition parties circling and public patience wearing thin over cost-of-living pressures, the Tinubu administration is leaning heavily on party discipline to project a united front.
By demanding that regional candidates sink or swim with the President’s brand, the presidency is effectively signaling that internal dissent or tactical distancing will not be tolerated. As campaigns gradually gather momentum nationwide, candidates across the North now face a stark choice: embrace the Tinubu ticket fully, or risk losing the backing of the party machine.
