The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has challenged President Bola Tinubu to personally defend his administration’s record ahead of the 2027 presidential election, warning that Nigerians will not accept political surrogates as substitutes for accountability.
The group’s reaction followed reports that the demands of governance might keep Tinubu away from the campaign trail.

In a hard-hitting statement on Thursday, POMR spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, argued that the President could not delegate the responsibility of defending his policies while expecting Nigerians to renew his mandate.
“You cannot govern by proxy, campaign through surrogates, and expect votes from Nigerians,” the group declared.
POMR said party chieftains and political allies could campaign for Tinubu but could not answer for the consequences of his administration’s decisions.

“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,” the statement said.
The group challenged Tinubu to explain how his economic policies had improved the lives of Nigerians struggling with the cost of food, transportation, electricity, housing, and other essentials.
“If the economy is improving, let him explain how that improvement is reflected in the cost of food, transportation, electricity, housing, and necessities,” it said.

POMR added that if the administration believed its policies were working, the President should personally explain their benefits to citizens demanding answers about persistent hardship.
The group accused the administration of risking a campaign in which political allies would promote its achievements without the President directly confronting questions about its performance.
It insisted that Nigerians were being asked to assess Tinubu’s leadership, policies and promises, not those of the political figures campaigning on his behalf.

“Nigerians are not being asked to elect your surrogates. They are being asked to assess you, your policies, your promises, and your performance,” the statement added.
POMR maintained that a president seeking another mandate must be prepared to face voters and defend his record, regardless of how demanding the campaign might be.
“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 said.