The All Progressives Congress has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s speech at its campaign rally in Kaduna, saying his presence and expression of gratitude to supporters were sufficient to achieve the event’s purpose ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made the clarification during an appearance on ARISE News on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, while responding to criticism that Tinubu’s address at Saturday’s rally was underwhelming.

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Morka argued that the rally was primarily organised to bring party members and supporters together to welcome the President and acknowledge their backing, rather than serve as a platform for detailed policy discussions.

He said Tinubu did not need to deliver an elaborate speech to make the event successful.

“All the president needed to do was to show up and say to the people in Kaduna, ‘Thank you for your hospitality, I appreciate your support, please do so again in 2027.’ If that’s all he said, he did the job,” Morka said.

The APC spokesman maintained that campaign rallies should not be judged by the length or complexity of a politician’s speech.

“A campaign rally of that kind in Kaduna is not a policy dialogue where speeches should be given. Even if the president came there and danced and said to the people, ‘I appreciate you, thank you so much,’ and left the stage, he had done the job,” he added.

Morka also said the rally’s organisers were best positioned to determine whether it had achieved its objectives, describing the gathering as an opportunity for party members, leaders, supporters and well-wishers to welcome Tinubu.

The APC held the rally in Kaduna on Saturday, October 24, as part of its mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.

During his address, Tinubu criticised opposition figures who had blamed his administration for the hunger and poverty affecting Nigerians.

“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did. They created the hunger. They created the poverty we are trying to eradicate,” the President said.

He also defended his administration’s performance, pointing to regular salary payments and the work of state governors as evidence of progress.

“We pay salaries regularly. Our governors are working. I am proud of them. They are developing,” he said.

Tinubu urged supporters to back his re-election bid, promising what he described as “prosperity, continuity, progress and development”.

“To you, the children of our country, it is a promise of second-term prosperity. You will not regret going to vote,” he said.

The rally formed part of the APC’s efforts to strengthen its support base before the next general election.

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Morka’s defence highlights the party’s view that such gatherings serve not only to communicate political messages but also to reinforce relationships between the party leadership and its supporters.