The Atiku Media Office has expressed concern over the reported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by hundreds of lecturers from universities across Northern Nigeria, warning that academics who openly declare partisan allegiance should not subsequently be entrusted with sensitive electoral responsibilities by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lecturers have every constitutional right to support, campaign for, and vote for any candidate of their choice. That right is not in dispute. What is unacceptable, however, is for persons who have publicly taken partisan positions to later present themselves as neutral electoral officials.
Any academic who openly endorses a presidential candidate should not come anywhere near sensitive INEC assignments as returning officers, collation officers or officials entrusted with the collation, declaration and announcement of election results. Electoral credibility requires not only actual neutrality, but also public confidence in the neutrality of those administering the process.
More disturbing is the reported presence of elected governors and a serving Minister of Defence at the endorsement. That senior officials of the ruling party would lend the weight of their offices to such an overtly partisan gathering of academics is deeply troubling and speaks to the desperation surrounding the Tinubu administration’s quest for re-election.
It is a shame that the Tinubu administration appears determined to strip our scholars of the dignity of their academic gowns and dress them instead in the garb of partisan political rascality. Universities should remain centres of independent thought, scholarship and intellectual freedom, not recruitment grounds for the political machinery of a desperate ruling party.
What we are witnessing tells the story of a government increasingly prepared to push against every moral boundary in its determination to secure another term in office, regardless of the damage done to institutions that ought to command public trust.
This principle must apply equally to academics who openly support Atiku Abubakar or any other presidential candidate. No one should be allowed to play today and referee tomorrow.
You cannot wear a party jersey today and expect Nigerians to accept you as an impartial referee on election day.
INEC must take note and ensure that academics who have publicly declared partisan allegiance are excluded from sensitive electoral responsibilities in the 2027 elections.
Phrank Shaibu
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar