*’If the President Believes He Has Performed Well, Let Him Come Before Nigerians And Say So Himself. Let Him Explain The Economy. Let Him Explain The Hardship Confronting Families. Let Him Explain His Policies’
*The 2027 Election Not Ceremony To Be Performed By Proxy. It Is A Contest For Leadership Of Over 200 million Nigerians, Those Seeking The Mandate Must Have Courage To Stand Before The People, Answer Their Questions, And Defend Their Records, The Media Office Says
By Taju Adegoke
The media office of presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has raised posers over what it claimed are “some disturbing trends” being exhibited by President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 16 January, 2027 presidential election.
The media office slammed what it alleged were the President’s “plans to hide in Aso Rock and expect hired surrogates to meet the people on his behalf.”
In a statement by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., the media office noted that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is positioning himself to be re-elected for a second term without meeting the electorates.”
Zekeri added: “Indications are evident that the President plans to hide in Aso Rock and expect hired surrogates to meet the people on his behalf. This is not democracy and must be rejected by the people.”
Insisting that there are activities the President can delegate to other persons to do on his behalf, Zekeri pointed out accountability meetings with Nigerians, whom he expects to vote for him for a second term in office next year, is non-negotiable.
“President Tinubu can deploy surrogates to speak for him, sign documents on his behalf, or represent him at some public events, but he cannot send a surrogate to meet the Nigerian people on his behalf.
“The 2027 election is not a ceremony to be performed by representatives. It is a contest for the leadership of more than 200 million Nigerians, and those seeking the mandate must have the courage to stand before the people, answer their questions, and defend their records,” he emphasized.
‘Missing From Gen Abubakar National Peace Committee Meeting’
Zekeri added: “At the National Peace Accord convened by the National Peace Committee under the leadership of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the President was missing, disrespecting the painstaking work of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, and others in promoting peaceful elections.”
Zekeri further insisted that Nigerians need to see, hear and question those who seek to govern them in 2027.
His words: “The Nigerian people need to see the candidate. They need to hear the candidate. They need to question the candidate.
“The same applies to every major national platform, including the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference and other forums where candidates are expected to engage Nigerians on the state of the nation.
“A President asking Nigerians for another four years cannot permanently hide behind ministers, party officials, media aides, governors, or other political surrogates. The office belongs to the people; the mandate belongs to the people; and the accountability must be directly to the people.”
He argued that if President Tinubu believes he has performed well, “let him come before Nigerians and say so himself. Let him explain the economy. Let him explain the hardship confronting families. Let him explain his policies. Let the candidate explain what has changed since 2023. Let him tell Nigerians what he intends to do differently in a second term. And let him hear directly from the citizens whose votes he seeks.
“This is not disrespect. It is democracy. We, therefore, challenge the President and the APC to stop campaigning through surrogates and start engaging the Nigerian people directly.”
The spokesman stressed that the country does not need another election “in which Nigerians hear more from political surrogates than from the presidential candidate himself.”
He stated further: “The 2027 election must be a contest of candidates, competence, records, ideas, and character — not a contest of who can deploy the loudest army of surrogates. No more proxy campaigns. No more presidential hide-and-seek.
“If President Tinubu wants a second term, let him come to the people. Let him see and hear the people. And let Nigerians question him and decide — not on the voices of his surrogates, but on the record and vision of the man asking for their votes. This is the spirit of democracy. We are electing a servant of the people, not a demigod.”
*PHOTO CAPTION: Peter Obi (l) and President Tinubu.
