The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has alleged that the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by about 600 university academics is an indication that preparations may already be underway to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., POMR expressed concern over the political endorsement by the academics, arguing that many university lecturers have historically been engaged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as Returning Officers and Collation Officers during elections.

According to the Obi media organisation, the endorsement raises questions about the neutrality of academics who may eventually be assigned sensitive electoral responsibilities in the 2027 general elections.

“The Peter Obi Media Office has become aware of reports that approximately 600 university academics have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This development is profoundly troubling and should be recognised for what it signifies: an early attempt to build and legitimise a network of partisan actors ahead of the 2027 presidential election,” the statement said.

POMR argued that electoral manipulation does not begin on election day but is often preceded by the recruitment and positioning of individuals capable of influencing the electoral process.

“We have seen this pattern before. Electoral rigging does not suddenly occur on election day; it begins months or even years earlier through the identification, cultivation, and placement of individuals capable of influencing the process when votes are finally cast,” it stated.

The group maintained that academics who openly endorse a political candidate should not be allowed to participate in the conduct of elections, warning that such actions could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

It therefore called on INEC to publish the identities of the academics involved in the endorsement and bar them from serving as Returning Officers, Collation Officers or in any other electoral capacity during the 2027 elections.

POMR also urged the electoral commission to release the names of prospective electoral officers ahead of future elections to enable political parties, civil society groups and the public to scrutinise their political neutrality.

The organisation further called on university governing councils and academic bodies to establish conflict-of-interest guidelines that would prevent academics from using their professional standing to engage in partisan political mobilisation.

“The machinery for rigging must not be allowed to take root before the election even begins. The people must choose their leaders, and the outcome must be decided by their votes—not by a pre-arranged electoral network,” the statement added.

The allegation comes amid increasing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with support groups, professional associations and interest groups across the country beginning to align with potential presidential contenders.

The endorsement by the academics, which has generated debate in political circles, is part of a growing wave of declarations of support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid. Tinubu, who was elected in 2023 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has yet to be formally nominated by his party for the 2027 election but has continued to receive endorsements from party stakeholders, political groups and elected officials.

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election and now the presidential flag bearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has consistently advocated electoral reforms, transparency and institutional independence as critical measures for strengthening Nigeria’s democracy ahead of future elections.