Nigeria popular opposition figure and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s plan to campaign for reelection mainly through proxies and surrogates, saying he must personally defend his record.
Obi’s media office in a statement on Thursday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri, stated that although political surrogates could speak for the President, they could not assume responsibility for his policies and performance.
The President could not delegate accountability or leave political allies to defend his administration while Nigerians continued to grapple with the effects of government policies, it said.
Tinubu had on Wednesday re-ignited debate over his health when he said at the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council that he will not accompany its members to every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general elections, claiming that he had work to do as president.
He therefore asked the state governors and coordinators to lead the party’s mobilisation efforts nationwide while he attended to matters of state, noting that the country required his attention.
Many Nigerians had taken to social media to ask when the president realized this, judging from his frequent foreign trips, the last being a one-month extended vacation in Europe while the country grappled with many challenges, especially insecurity.
Also recall that Tinubu’s media aides had regularly argued that their principal could govern from anywhere in the digital age.
Reacting, the Obi media office berated the president, stressing that he must explain his administration’s performance directly to Nigerians.
“President Bola Tinubu reportedly says the demands of governance may keep him away from the campaign trail. Nigerians deserve to ask: If he cannot make time to face the electorate, why should surrogates be sent to ask for their votes?
“The President cannot delegate accountability. He cannot outsource the defence of his record to political allies, party chieftains, and praise singers while millions of Nigerians struggle with the consequences of his government’s policies.
“Surrogates can speak for the President, but they cannot answer for his failures. They can repeat his promises, but they cannot make those promises a reality. They can campaign in his name, but they cannot carry his responsibility,” it stated.
The media team also urged Tinubu to explain how the performance of his administration had affected the cost of food, transportation, electricity, housing and other necessities.
“If the administration has delivered on its promises, why should the President be reluctant to defend that record before Nigerians himself? If the economy is improving, let him explain how that improvement is reflected in the cost of food, transportation, electricity, housing, and necessities. If his policies are working, let him face the citizens who want to know when the hardship will end,” it said.
The statement argued that governance should not be treated as a reason to avoid public scrutiny, maintaining that a candidate seeking another term must be prepared to account for his record.
“Governance is not an excuse to avoid accountability. In a democracy, governance is the very record a candidate must defend before asking for another mandate,” the office said.
It added that Nigerians were being asked to assess Tinubu’s policies, promises and performance, rather than those of the political allies campaigning on his behalf.
“The Nigerian people deserve a direct conversation with their President, not a relay of rehearsed talking points from political messengers,” the statement said.
The office urged Tinubu to explain his administration’s achievements, address unfulfilled promises and respond to questions from Nigerians if he wanted them to renew his mandate.
“A President who seeks the people’s mandate must be prepared to face the people. Surrogates may carry the message, but they cannot carry the burden of accountability,” it added.