Former Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi, has accused President Bola Tinubu of seeking to avoid the rigours of campaigning ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Amadi alleged that Tinubu would depend on state governors to mobilise votes for his re-election, warning that the approach could threaten Nigeria’s democracy if opposition parties were prevented from campaigning freely.
The former NERC chairman made the remarks in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, reacting to Tinubu’s statement that he might not be able to visit every state during the 2027 presidential campaign.
Tinubu had explained that the responsibilities of his office would limit his ability to travel extensively, although he intended to make time to address Nigerians directly.
“You will excuse me from going everywhere with you. However, I will still make room to talk to Nigerians directly. The responsibility of this office does not pause, and we have bills to pay,” the President said.
Reacting, Amadi described Tinubu as being candid about his decision, but suggested that the President was unwilling to endure the physical demands of an extensive campaign.
“Tinubu is very honest here. He will not campaign because he cannot face the stress of a campaign. He will allow the governors to cash out the votes through all means,” Amadi wrote.
He urged governors expected to support Tinubu’s re-election bid to operate peacefully and ensure opposition parties could campaign without intimidation or obstruction.
“I just ask the governors to go about this proxy work peacefully, allow the opposition to campaign freely, and let the people decide for themselves whether to return Tinubu to power despite his inability to campaign,” he added.
Amadi also expressed concern about the state of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, warning against actions that could further weaken them amid fears of possible military intervention.
He argued that the country should not allow concerns about military intervention to justify further damage to democratic governance.
“Nigerian democracy is already damaged. But we should not damage it further for fear of the military. We are vulnerable. Consider what is going on around us in West Africa,” he stated.
The former NERC chairman stressed the importance of preserving democracy, adding, “We need democracy to survive.”
