The political analyst says Tinubu’s plan to limit campaign trips could leave state governors to lead the re-election drive, urging them to allow opposition parties to campaign freely and voters to make their own choices.

The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu may not embark on extensive nationwide campaigning ahead of the 2027 presidential election, alleging that the president could rely heavily on state governors to mobilise votes for his re-election.

Amadi made the claim while reacting to Tinubu’s recent statement that he would not be able to visit every state during the campaign, as he intends to balance electioneering with the responsibilities of governing the country.

The president made the remarks during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja, where he indicated that his official duties would limit his participation in nationwide campaign tours.

“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,” Tinubu said.

Reacting in a post on X, Amadi interpreted the president’s comments as a sign that he would leave much of the campaign work to governors and other party leaders.

“Tinubu is very honest here, he will not campaign because he cannot face the stress of the campaign. He will allow the governors to cash out the votes through all means,” Amadi wrote.

The claim about the president’s ability to withstand the demands of campaigning was Amadi’s personal assessment and was not established by Tinubu’s remarks, which focused on the competing demands of governance and electioneering.

Amadi also urged state governors to approach their campaign responsibilities peacefully and ensure that opposition parties could freely canvass for votes ahead of the 2027 election.

He argued that Nigerians should be allowed to decide for themselves whether Tinubu deserves another term in office, without undue interference or restrictions on opposition activities.

“I just ask the governors to go about this proxy work in peace and allow the opposition to campaign freely and let the people decide for themselves whether to return Tinubu to power despite not being able to campaign,” he said.

Amadi further expressed concern about the state of Nigerian democracy, warning against actions that could worsen existing challenges. He also cautioned against allowing fears about a possible military intervention to undermine democratic processes.

“Nigerian democracy is already damaged. But we should not damage it further for fear of the military,” he added.

Highlighting developments across West Africa, Amadi said Nigeria needed to preserve its democratic system amid regional political uncertainty.

“We are vulnerable. Consider what is going around our West Africa. We need democracy to survive,” he wrote.

Tinubu’s comments have brought renewed attention to the balance between presidential responsibilities and campaign activities as political parties prepare for the 2027 general election. Amadi’s reaction, meanwhile, centres on the need for peaceful campaigning, political competition and a process that allows voters to make their decisions freely.