Peter Obi’s Camp Raises Alarm Over Alleged Tinubu Endorsement By 600 Lecturers

The Peter Obi Media Office has expressed concern over the alleged endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by about 600 university lecturers.

Naija News reports that POMR spokesman Idris Zekeri shared his reservations in a statement on Tuesday.

He 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 worrisome because university lecturers 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.