The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove serving heads of federal government agencies who have joined efforts to mobilise political support for his 2027 re-election bid.
HURIWA said the reported formation of a coalition of federal agency chiefs to support Tinubu’s campaign raises serious questions about the separation between public administration and partisan politics.
The group was reportedly launched by the Forum of Chief Executives of Federal Parastatals, which has pledged to mobilise at least 10 million votes for Tinubu and establish a complementary structure to the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.
Reports said the forum plans to undertake grassroots mobilisation, campaign messaging, election planning, monitoring and other activities in support of the President’s re-election bid.
HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Friday, said the development was troubling because many of those involved remain in charge of federal institutions established to serve Nigerians.
The rights group argued that serving Directors-General and Chief Executives should concentrate on the statutory responsibilities of their agencies rather than take active roles in partisan campaign structures.
HURIWA said the reported pledge to mobilise 10 million votes makes the issue more than a personal political choice by individual officials, describing it as a development that could blur the line between government administration and electoral mobilisation.
The organisation said federal agencies belong to the Nigerian people and should serve citizens regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, religion or ideological persuasion.
According to HURIWA, the participation of serving agency chiefs in campaign structures could create potential conflicts of interest, particularly where officials have access to public resources, government networks, official personnel and institutional platforms.
The group therefore urged Tinubu to immediately sack any serving agency chief who chooses to participate actively in partisan campaigning while retaining a public appointment.
HURIWA said officials who wish to play prominent roles in partisan politics should first relinquish their government positions rather than combine campaign activities with the management of public institutions.
The rights group also warned against the use of public funds, official vehicles, government facilities, personnel, institutional databases or other resources attached to public offices for electoral purposes.
It said the reported campaign structure involving federal agency chiefs further raises questions about whether government institutions could gradually become extensions of the ruling party’s campaign machinery ahead of the 2027 elections.
HURIWA urged the Presidency to draw a clear line between government administration and partisan politics, insisting that public institutions must remain focused on governance, development and service delivery.
The organisation called on Tinubu to appoint professionals and technocrats capable of concentrating on the statutory mandates of affected agencies.
HURIWA said such a step would help protect public confidence in the neutrality of federal institutions as political parties prepare for the 2027 elections.
