By Nwafor Sunday

President Bola Tinubu has said he will spend the night in Akwa Ibom State, declaring that his visit is a “second term presidential sleep” as he expressed confidence in securing re-election in 2027.

Tinubu made the remark on Friday during a reception and rally organised in his honour at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

Addressing the crowd, the President thanked the people of Akwa Ibom for their support and urged eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Thank you, Akwa Ibom. I love you with my heart. I will sleep in Akwa Ibom tonight. It’s going to be a second term presidential sleep. I will dream of victory too.

“I will depend on you to go out and vote. The weapon you have is the PVC. If you have not collected it, please go ahead and collect your PVC. I am begging you, for the sake of your future,” he said.

Tinubu also reiterated his administration’s promises of improved living conditions, infrastructure development, education, skills acquisition and job creation.

“I promised you a better future, I promised you development, I promised you education. I promised you skill development, I promised you jobs. We are going to plant a lot of economic trees,” he added.

The President’s declaration comes amid criticism from the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, who had taken a swipe at him over his travels across the country.

Obi had suggested that Tinubu had not spent the night in any state outside Abuja and Lagos, a remark that appeared to question the President’s physical presence across the country.

Tinubu’s announcement that he would spend the night in Akwa Ibom comes against the backdrop of the exchange between the two political figures as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum.