Ahmed Tinubu to Personally Engage Nigerians Ahead of the 2027 Presidential Election, Warning Against What It Described As an Attempt to Seek

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, on Tuesday, POMR alleged that Tinubu was positioning himself to secure another term without sufficiently meeting the electorate. The organisation insisted that presidential candidates must have the courage to stand before Nigerians, answer their questions and defend their records, policies and vision for the country. "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is positioning himself to be re-elected for a second term without meeting the electorate, the statement said.

"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. POMR argued that while the president could deploy surrogates to represent him at certain events, speak for him or sign documents on his behalf, he could not delegate the responsibility of personally engaging Nigerians whose votes he would be seeking.

"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. The group also criticised Tinubu's absence from the National Peace Accord convened by the National Peace Committee under former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, describing it as disrespectful to the efforts of Abubakar, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and other stakeholders working to promote peaceful elections.

"The Nigerian people need to see the candidate. They need to hear the candidate. They need to question the candidate, POMR said.

POMR extended its demand to major national platforms, including the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference, where presidential candidates are expected to engage citizens. It said a president seeking another four-year mandate could not "permanently hide behind ministers, party officials, media aides, governors, or other political surrogates". The organisation challenged Tinubu to personally explain his administration's performance since assuming office in 2023. "If the president believes his administration 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. POMR maintained that its demand was not an attack on the presidency but an insistence on democratic accountability. "This is not disrespect.

It is democracy, the organisation declared, challenging Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to abandon proxy campaigning. "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. The organisation made a direct appeal: "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.

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.