Peter Obi Media Office Urges INEC to Bar Pro-Tinubu Lecturers From 2027 Election Duties

The Peter Obi Media Office has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bar university lecturers who reportedly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from serving as returning officers, collation officers or other electoral officials during the 2027 general elections.

The call followed reports that about 600 university academics had publicly endorsed the President ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., the Peter Obi Media Office said allowing academics who had openly declared support for the incumbent to participate in sensitive electoral assignments could create a conflict of interest and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The group argued that university academics are frequently recruited by electoral authorities to serve in key positions during elections, including as returning and collation officers.

It therefore urged INEC to identify and publish the names of the academics involved in the reported endorsement and formally exclude them from election duties in 2027.

The statement also called on INEC to publish the complete list of prospective returning and collation officers well ahead of elections, saying this would allow civil society organisations, political parties and members of the public to assess their political neutrality.

According to the group, such transparency would help prevent situations where individuals perceived to have partisan interests are entrusted with sensitive responsibilities in the electoral process.

The Peter Obi Media Office further urged university governing councils and academic bodies across the country to establish stricter conflict-of-interest rules to prevent academic staff from using their professional positions for partisan political mobilisation.

It said Nigerians must remain vigilant ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that electoral outcomes should be determined by the votes of citizens and not by what it described as a “pre-arranged electoral network.”

The group stressed that protecting the credibility of the electoral process requires preventive measures long before election day.