The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has voiced serious concerns about what it describes as a covert campaign effort to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. The group claims that senior officials within the Presidency are secretly funding this initiative.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, signed by National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA accused high-ranking aides and ministers of misusing public funds to organize premature campaign events and rallies across Nigeria. The group highlighted various activities orchestrated by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including the Senate President, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and several state governors. These activities, according to HURIWA, are thinly veiled pre-election campaigns funded by taxpayers.
“These events, masquerading as ‘endorsement rallies,’ are nothing more than illegal campaign activities being financed with public money,” Onwubiko said. The group also pointed out the misuse of constituency project funds to support these political endorsements, calling it a violation of public trust.
Additionally, HURIWA expressed concerns over the recent influx of opposition party members into the APC. It labeled these defections as tactical political moves, rather than genuine shifts in political allegiance, suggesting they are strategically timed to strengthen support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The group also criticized a statement from Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, who distanced the Presidency from the early campaign activities. Onanuga had described the billboards and campaign materials as a public relations strategy to deflect accountability. However, HURIWA countered that the absence of any disciplinary action against those involved suggests complicity within the administration.
“If the President truly did not know these early campaigns, why has no action been taken against those responsible?” Onwubiko questioned. Onanuga had previously warned against mounting campaign billboards, citing legal restrictions on early campaigning for the 2027 elections, and emphasized that President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima did not endorse any such activities.
HURIWA argues that the actions of key public officials show a blatant disregard for the law, with the APC’s control over institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement agencies potentially providing them with immunity from accountability.
The group called on INEC, the judiciary, and civil society organizations to step in and protect Nigeria’s democratic processes by addressing and preventing violations of election laws. HURIWA warns that failing to act could set a dangerous precedent, allowing incumbents to misuse state resources for personal political gain well before elections are held.
