More than 600 senior academics from public universities across the 19 northern states have publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu's re-election ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections. The endorsement, which took place at a closed-door meeting in Kaduna, has drawn a swift rebuttal from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which insists the union remains apolitical.
Meeting in Kaduna Draws Governors and Ministers
According to a report by Daily Trust on Monday, September 14, the endorsement followed a meeting held on Thursday, September 10, at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Kaduna. The gathering was convened by Ibrahim Masari, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters.
Several northern governors attended the meeting, including Uba Sani of Kaduna, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Babagana Zulum of Borno, and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe. The Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle; the Minister of Housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma; and former Katsina governor Aminu Bello Masari were also present. Journalists were barred from the hall during deliberations but were allowed in to hear the communiqué read at the end of the session.
Academics Acknowledge Hardship but Back Tinubu
The Vice Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, read out the communiqué, stating that the scholars had examined the Tinubu administration's record since May 2023 across the economy, security, infrastructure, and social welfare. The academics admitted that some government reforms had driven up living and transport costs and fuelled inflation, yet they also credited the administration with gains in education financing, agriculture, investment, and the digital economy.
"We resolved to express our support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the 2027 presidential election," the communiqué read. The academics were quick to add conditions, noting that "our support should not be interpreted as a blank check" and calling on the government to tackle food prices, unemployment, and insecurity.
An invitation letter to the meeting, seen by Daily Trust, listed two objectives: assessing the administration's performance and securing the academics' "endorsement and active support" for Tinubu's re-election. The letter added that "the purpose of the gathering is therefore not open-ended debate but mobilisation," and said attendance was voluntary, meant only for those already "favourably disposed to the objective." Masari told the gathering that given the administration's record in education, academics had a duty to participate in shaping the country's leadership rather than stand aside and complain.
ASUU Distances Itself from Endorsement
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) moved swiftly to separate itself from the declaration. ASUU President Prof Chris Piwuna said the endorsement was misleading and had nothing to do with the union. "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," Piwuna said.
He acknowledged that individual members are free to support any political party under Nigerian law but stressed that ASUU as a body has never endorsed a candidate and never will. "Neither our members nor our comrades should drag us into that controversy. We have never done it and we will never do it," he added. Prof Mainasara Yakubu Kurfi of Bayero University, Kano, who was named by a source as having attended, denied being at the meeting and said he was not even aware it had taken place.
The endorsement and the subsequent denial highlight the political tensions surrounding the 2027 election, as President Tinubu seeks to consolidate support in the northern region while facing challenges from opposition figures. The academics' conditional support, coupled with ASUU's firm stance, sets the stage for continued debate over the administration's performance and its impact on the electorate.
