Nigerian governors scramble to back Tinubu's 2027 bid while local governance crumbles
Premium Times reports 31 APC governors and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike are leading a frantic campaign to reelect President Bola Tinubu in 2027, often through coercion and inducement. The thing is, this political scramble is happening while governors neglect pressing local issues in their states. For example, Kwara's AbdulRahman AbdulRazak and Imo's Hope Uzodinma are promoting Tinubu nationally while losing political ground at home to Wike's PDP faction. Wike has openly accused these governors of working against him, saying 'I don't talk about what I cannot defend.'
Meanwhile, a politically significant academic endorsement emerged: 600 lecturers from public universities endorsed Tinubu's reelection at a meeting convened by five APC governors (Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe, Borno, Gombe), with presidential adviser Ibrahim Masari present. However, ASUU President Chris Piwuna swiftly disassociated the union from this pact, insisting ASUU remains apolitical. The article notes this happened despite unresolved welfare issues and industrial disputes over the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement at institutions like KASU.
The core problem highlighted is that citizens' needs—basic amenities, poverty alleviation, functional local governance—are being sidelined as politicians prioritize showing loyalty to Tinubu. Voters are reportedly 'jumping over the log in their eyes to see the speck in others'' while ignoring rotting local governance. With elections approaching, the intelligence for Nigerians is clear: amid this elite political theater demanding public loyalty, citizens must scrutinize whether their governors are actually delivering services at the local level or merely performing for Tinubu's 2027 coronation.