Columnist criticizes campaign supporting Tinubu in Nigeria — Premium Times Nigeria

Nigerian columnist Zainab Suleiman Okino criticized the political rivalry surrounding support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 elections. In a column for Premium Times Nigeria, she said that governors and other politicians are increasingly focused on demonstrating loyalty to the president rather than on voters’ problems.

Rivalry among Tinubu’s allies

The author described a confrontation between 31 governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress, or APC, and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. In her assessment, the politicians are competing for influence and for the opportunity to present themselves as those who will deliver Tinubu voters’ votes.

Okino mentioned Wike’s dispute with the governors of Kwara and Imo states, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Hope Uzodimma. According to the column, Wike accused them of working against him and of failing to reciprocate his support.

The columnist also suggested that candidates linked to Wike’s coalition in the Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, could simultaneously work toward their own local results and support Tinubu at the national level.

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Academics’ statement

Separately, Okino drew attention to a statement by Kaduna State University Vice-Chancellor Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa that 600 academics from public educational institutions supported Tinubu’s re-election. According to her, the meeting at which the statement was made was convened by five governors: Uba Sani, Dauda Lawal, Mai Mala Buni, Babagana Zulum and Inuwa Yahaya.

The president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Chris Piwuna, distanced the union from this initiative. He said that ASUU remains non-partisan and will not support any political party.

In Okino’s view, such political arrangements insufficiently take voters’ positions into account and make it more difficult to hold politicians accountable.