2027: Northern lecturers endorse Tinubu, ASUU kicks move
by Adeola Balogun · The Eagle OnlineMore 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 cheque,” they said, urging the government to listen to citizens, respond to legitimate criticism and address high food and transportation costs, unemployment and insecurity.
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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 Trust showed 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.”
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