2027: Northern Lecturers Endorse Tinubu

More than 600 senior academics drawn from all the public universities in Northern Nigeria have endorsed the second-term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The endorsement formed the key highlight of a meeting convened by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, for the academics to deliberate on the political future of Nigeria.

The engagement was held behind closed doors, at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Kaduna.

Our correspondent reports that newsmen were not allowed into the hall at the commencement of the meeting but were later allowed to witness the reading of the communiqué issued at the end of the deliberations.

Those at the meeting include the convener, Alhaji Masari, Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani; Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal; Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum and his Gombe counterpart, Inuwa Yahaya.

Others include the Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of Housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma and former governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari.

A reliable source at the meeting said most of the public-owned universities in the 19 northern states were represented and opportunities were given from each of the zones to speak. While the Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in the higher institutions from the North West, the chief librarian of the Federal University Lafia, Prof Abdulrazaq Baba Abdulrahman, spoke on behalf of the North Central and the chairman governing council of the Federal College of Agriculture, Gwoza, spoke of behalf of the North East. Professor Mohammed Umar Sanda of the Federal University Dutsinma was also at the meeting.

Prof Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi of the Bayero University, Kano, whom a source named as being in attendance at the meeting, however, denied attending when contacted, adding that he was not even aware of such a gathering.

It was gathered that most of the VCs from federal universities in the North attended the meeting.

Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof Musa, who read the communiqué, said the academics critically examined the performance of the Tinubu administration since May 2023, as well as the economic, political, security and social conditions in the country, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

He said the scholars acknowledged that Tinubu inherited an economy facing fiscal, monetary and structural challenges, alongside insecurity, infrastructure deficits and human capital gaps and that some of the administration’s reforms had increased hardship for Nigerians.

“While these reforms have imposed substantial short-term hardship through higher living and transportation costs and inflationary pressures, we also acknowledge that they have altered government revenues and public finance,” they said.

However, they said the administration had recorded progress in areas including education financing, agriculture, infrastructure, business support, compressed natural gas, investment and the digital economy.

After their deliberations, the academics stated that: “We resolved to express our support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the 2027 presidential election.”

They, however, said their support should not be interpreted as unconditional.

“Our support should not be interpreted as a blank check,” they said, urging the government to listen to citizens, respond to legitimate criticism and address high food and transportation costs, unemployment and insecurity.

The academics also called for an improved security strategy combining military operations, intelligence gathering, effective policing, community engagement and economic opportunities and urged the government to increase investment in agriculture, education, healthcare, roads, electricity, irrigation and other critical infrastructure in the North.

Tinubu’s adviser, Masari, in his address said in view of the achievements of the current administration in the education sector, it behoves on the academics to participate in determining the leadership of the country instead of staying aloof and complaining. He encouraged the academics to join in the political process and contribute.

Meeting focuses on mobilising support for Tinubu

The invitation letter to the meeting sighted by Daily Trustshowed that soliciting the active support of the academics for Tinubu’s re-election was a major objective of the meeting.

The invitation, signed on behalf of the organisers, described the event as an “interactive session of senior academics from Northern Nigeria and selected government functionaries” under the theme: “Consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda: Three Years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Achievements and the Road to 2027.”

It said the meeting had two objectives: to assess the administration’s performance in the economy, security, education, infrastructure and social welfare, and to “secure the endorsement and active support of the academic community for the re-election of Mr President in the 2027 General Elections.”

The invitation further stated that “the purpose of the gathering is therefore not open-ended debate but mobilisation.”

It added that attendance was voluntary and encouraged only academics who were favourably disposed to the objective to attend.

“All inquiries regarding accommodation and transport arrangements should be directed to the respective state coordinators, please,” it was stated in the letter.

Daily Trust gathered that the organisers made arrangements for logistics and transportation for participants at the academic engagement.

A senior staff member of one of the universities, who was not at the meeting, said it was expected that participants would be reimbursed for their transportation and other logistics.

“Of course, you should expect all those who attended the stakeholders’ engagement to be reimbursed for their logistics and transportation. You don’t expect them to just attend and leave with empty hands,” the source said.

However, the amount, if any, given to individual participants could not be independently verified.

The series of consultations comes as political activities begin to gather momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the Tinubu camp seeking to secure the backing of influential groups across Northern Nigeria.

ASUU rejects endorsement

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in a swift response, disowned the Northern lecturers’ endorsement, saying it retains its age-long apolitical position.

In an interview with one of our correspondents last night, the President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, described the endorsement as misleading and absolved the union of anything related to partisan politics.

Prof. Piwuna explained that members of the union are free to belong to different political parties in line with the constitution of the country if they choose, but must do so in an individual capacity.

“We will never take such positions, going by our constitution. They cannot mention ASUU. Nobody can mention ASUU in that context because we’re apolitical. Our members can belong to any political party that they want.

“They can do whatever they want to do under the law. We have never, and we will never endorse any political party candidate. Nobody should drag us into such things,” he said.

The ASUU president also cautioned some of its members not to drag the union into the controversy of endorsement, insisting that the union remains apolitical in all its dealings.

He said, “Neither our members nor our comrades should drag us into that controversy. We have never done it and we will never do it. We’re apolitical and we retain that apolitical position.

“It is the same mistake people make when lecturers go to participate in electoral duties and they will say ASUU members are participating in electoral duties. It is misleading.

“It is misleading because ASUU has not sent anybody outside to participate in the electoral duties or serve as electoral officers. You can imagine heads of institutions like vice-chancellors that are always fighting us on campus; when they go out and do something, they will say they are our members. Meanwhile, these are the people fighting the union. We don’t endorse candidates of political parties.”

Masari meets Northern women Ulama

Daily Trust also reports that the political consultations by Masari continued on Sunday when the special adviser met women Islamic scholars from the 19 northern states along with the Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani

Masari said opposition to the president in parts of Northern Nigeria was largely driven by the fact that he is neither Hausa nor from the North.

He made the remark while speaking at a gathering in support of President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid with the women. He also defended the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He questioned what he described as the basis for opposition to Tinubu, arguing that the president’s major “fault” in the eyes of some Northerners was that he was not Hausa.

“What is the fault of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other than the fact that he is not a Hausa man or from the North?” Masari asked.

He said such sentiments amounted to ethnic discrimination, stressing that Islam does not recognise superiority based on ethnicity, skin colour or language.

“Show me any weak Hadith that tells us to discriminate based on skin colour in Islam, or to discriminate based on language—that this person is Yoruba, this person is Hausa, or this person is Arab—such that their standing before Allah would be different, when fear of Allah is the only measure,” he said.

Masari, who was Tinubu’s placeholder in the run-up to the 2023 elections, urged Muslims and Northerners to reject ethnic considerations in political choices, saying what should matter is a person’s character, competence and fear of Allah.

He also recalled that Northern leaders had ruled Nigeria for almost 30 years, asking whether Nigerians should continue to complain about what previous administrations failed to achieve.

He said, “Since the creation of the Nigerian Federation, northern leaders ruled Nigeria for nearly 30 years. So, I wonder: if what those people are complaining about wasn’t done back then, should we sit around complaining now?”

The presidential adviser also defended the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying those who supported it did so for religious reasons rather than personal political gain.

He said supporters of the arrangement would have an answer before Allah if questioned about their decision to support the ticket.

“Indeed, if Almighty Allah raises us on the Day of Judgment and asks us why we supported a Muslim-Muslim ticket, by Allah, we will have an answer: ‘Lord, we did it for Your sake,’” Masari said.

Tinubu will win, Masari boasts

Masari also expressed confidence that Tinubu would secure victory in the 2027 presidential election, predicting that the president would be declared the winner on January 16, 2027.

He, however, acknowledged that the administration could make mistakes, saying the president should be supported to correct them while being strengthened to continue with policies considered beneficial to Nigerians.

“Where there are mistakes, may Allah grant him the ability to correct them. Where he is doing right, may Allah strengthen his resolve, increase his wisdom, and grant him good companions,” he said.

He urged supporters to stay away from what he described as “fraudsters,” “deceivers,” and people engaged in petty political scheming, while calling for support for Tinubu’s administration.

Masari also appealed for prayers for the president and his administration, saying the government would not deliberately betray the trust of Nigerians.

“We may make mistakes due to human nature and weakness, but we will not do so out of deliberate carelessness, disrespect, arrogance, or contempt,” he said.

President’s endorsement not sentimental – Gov Sani

Speaking at the meeting, Governor Sani said the Northern Women Ulama had endorsed Tinubu’s second-term bid because of his achievements and what they described as his inclusive style of governance.

“They are not endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu based on sentiments or some selfish reasons. It is simply because of what he has done for Nigeria and for Northern Nigeria in particular,” Sani said.

He said the women would take their message to communities across the 19 northern states.

“We, as governors who are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are here to support them, to motivate them to do more and take their message to all the 19 northern states, and all our wards and local governments,” he said. (Daily trust)