The Peter Obi Media Office has raised concerns over the reported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by about 600 university lecturers.
The office warned that the involvement of academics who could potentially serve in sensitive electoral roles may raise questions about neutrality ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The media office said the reported endorsement should attract public scrutiny because some university academics have previously participated in elections as returning officers, collation officers and other electoral officials.
In a statement on Tuesday signed by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., the office alleged that the development could create a conflict-of-interest situation if academics who had publicly declared support for a presidential candidate were subsequently appointed to positions that could influence the conduct or declaration of election results.
The office argued that while university lecturers, as citizens, have the right to support candidates of their choice, their political affiliations could become a matter of concern if they are later entrusted with sensitive responsibilities in the electoral 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 alleged.
According to the media office, allowing academics who have publicly endorsed a presidential candidate to participate in election administration could fuel perceptions of bias and further undermine public confidence in the process.
It therefore urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to disclose the identities of the academics involved in the reported endorsement and ensure that those with publicly declared partisan commitments are not appointed as returning officers, collation officers or other electoral personnel for the 2027 elections.
The office also called on INEC to publish the names of prospective returning and collation officers well ahead of elections, saying early disclosure would give political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders an opportunity to scrutinise their political neutrality.
It further appealed to university governing councils and academic bodies to strengthen conflict-of-interest rules governing the political activities of academic staff.
According to the office, stronger safeguards would help prevent academic institutions and their personnel from being used for partisan mobilisation in ways that could compromise confidence in their professional responsibilities during elections.
The media office maintained that the credibility of the 2027 election would depend not only on the conduct of voters on election day but also on the neutrality and integrity of individuals entrusted with administering the process and announcing results.
“Nigerians are watching. The machinery for rigging must not be allowed to take root before the election even begins,” it said.
The office urged Nigerians to remain vigilant as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify, insisting that the choice of the country’s next leaders should be determined by the votes of citizens rather than what it described as a “pre-arranged electoral network.”
