More than 600 senior academics from public universities across Northern Nigeria have reportedly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term ahead of the 2027 presidential election, triggering fresh debate over the role of academics in partisan politics and Nigeria’s electoral process.
The endorsement was announced by the Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University (KASU), Professor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, following a meeting held at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Kaduna.
The gathering was convened by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, and brought together academics and political figures, including Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
Also present were former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, Minister of Housing Muttaqha Rabe Darma and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle. (Trust Radio)
According to Professor Musa, the academics reviewed data relating to the Tinubu administration’s performance in areas including education, infrastructure, agriculture and investment before arriving at their position.
He subsequently explained in an interview with Trust TV’s Daily Politics that the gathering was intended to allow academics to examine available data and make recommendations based on their assessment. He said the endorsement reflected the findings of the academics who participated in the exercise. (Vanguard News)
However, the reported endorsement has raised questions about whether the position represents the wider academic community in Northern Nigeria.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, with journalists only gaining access to the presentation of the communiqué after the deliberations. No publicly available list of the academics who participated in or endorsed the position has been identified. (Trust Radio)
The development also prompted a response from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Its president, Professor Chris Piwuna, said the union remained apolitical and would not endorse any political party or candidate.
The distinction is significant because individual academics have the constitutional right to express political opinions and support candidates of their choice. However, an individual endorsement is different from an institutional position, and the reported endorsement does not constitute an endorsement by ASUU.
The controversy has also revived concerns about the involvement of academics in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Since the 2011 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has relied extensively on university academics as returning officers and other election officials, particularly because of the expectation that members of the academic community would bring professionalism and impartiality to the process.
That confidence has, however, been tested by cases involving individual academics.
Professor Peter Ogban was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of manipulating and falsifying results from the 2019 Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election while serving as an INEC returning officer. The Court of Appeal upheld his conviction in 2025. (Channels Television)
Similarly, Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo was sentenced to three years in prison in February 2025 after being convicted of perjury and publishing false election results relating to the 2019 elections. He had also served as an INEC returning officer. (Punch Newspapers)
The cases have contributed to broader questions about how INEC can maintain confidence in the neutrality of election officials, particularly where individuals have publicly demonstrated political affiliations.
The reported endorsement of Tinubu by more than 600 northern academics therefore raises a further question: how should electoral authorities distinguish between academics participating in partisan political activity and those considered suitable for sensitive electoral assignments?
There is also the question of representation. While the organisers and the KASU vice-chancellor have described the group as comprising more than 600 academics from public universities across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, the reported endorsement should not automatically be interpreted as representing all academics or lecturers in Northern Nigeria. (This Times)
Professor Musa himself acknowledged that individual academics remained free to hold positions different from those expressed by the group.
The development places renewed focus on the relationship between Nigeria’s universities and politics, particularly as the country moves closer to the 2027 elections.
For supporters of the endorsement, the academics’ position is presented as the outcome of an assessment of government performance and available data. Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the circumstances of the meeting, the absence of a publicly disclosed attendance list and the implications of academics openly aligning themselves with a presidential candidate.
Ultimately, the episode has moved the debate beyond the question of whether academics have the right to endorse political candidates. They do. The more consequential question is how such political participation affects public perceptions of academic neutrality and the continued reliance on academics to perform sensitive roles in Nigeria’s electoral process.
