Obi Media Office alleges rigging plan by 600 lecturers

ABUJA — The Peter Obi Media Office has raised concerns over the reported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by about 600 university lecturers, alleging that the development could undermine confidence in the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement signed on Tuesday by the spokesman of the Peter Obi Media Office, POMR, Idris Zekeri, the office described the reported endorsement as an early attempt to build what it called a network of partisan actors ahead of the election.

The media office said the development was particularly concerning because university academics had frequently been engaged as electoral officials, including returning and collation officers.

It alleged that the public endorsement of an incumbent presidential candidate by academics who could potentially be assigned electoral responsibilities raised questions about possible conflicts of interest.

The statement read in part: “The Peter Obi Media Office has become aware of reports that approximately 600 university academics have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This development is profoundly troubling and should be recognised for what it signifies: an early attempt to build and legitimise a network of partisan actors ahead of the 2027 presidential election.”

According to the office, the academics were not merely private citizens expressing their political preferences, but belonged to an institution that had frequently provided electoral officials.

“Their public backing for the incumbent consequently raises a serious and unavoidable question: is the framework for manipulating the 2027 election already being established?” it said.

The office alleged that electoral malpractice could begin long before election day through the identification, cultivation and placement of individuals capable of influencing the process.

“Electoral rigging does not suddenly occur on election day; it begins months or even years earlier through the identification, cultivation, and placement of individuals capable of influencing the process when votes are finally cast,” the statement said.

It urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, arguing that academics who publicly endorse a candidate and could subsequently be assigned sensitive electoral duties could create a perception of conflict of interest.

The media office consequently called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to publish the names of all prospective collation and returning officers well ahead of the 2027 elections.

It said such disclosure would allow civil society organisations, political parties and the public to assess the political neutrality of prospective electoral officials.

The office also urged INEC to release the names of the academics involved in the reported endorsement and prevent them from serving as returning officers, collation officers or other electoral staff during the 2027 general elections.

“We therefore urge INEC to release the names of all 600+ academics involved in this or any other political endorsement and to formally prohibit them from serving as Returning Officers, Collation Officers, or electoral staff during the 2027 general elections,” it said.

The Obi media office further called on university governing councils and academic bodies nationwide to adopt strict conflict-of-interest rules to prevent staff from using their professional positions to facilitate partisan political mobilisation.

“Nigerians are watching. The machinery for rigging must not be allowed to take root before the election even begins,” the statement said.

It added: “The people must choose their leaders, and the outcome must be decided by their votes — not by a pre-arranged electoral network.”