The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has raised concerns over what it described as the growing use of traditional and religious institutions for partisan political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group said the reported visits by the Presidential Campaign Council of President Bola Tinubu to influential traditional rulers, alongside public endorsements of his administration, should concern Nigerians who want credible and competitive elections.

In a statement signed on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA said the development had gone beyond routine political courtesy.

The association also pointed to reported endorsements from academic circles, including student leaders representing tertiary institutions across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.

HURIWA specifically cited the reported endorsement of Tinubu by the Oba of Lagos and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II. It also criticised the reported statement by the Oba of Lagos that there would be “no vacancy” in Aso Rock in 2027.

However, the rights group acknowledged that traditional rulers, religious leaders, academics, students and other citizens have the right to support political candidates.

It said the concern was the use of institutions with significant public influence as platforms for partisan campaigns.

“When traditional, religious or academic institutions are repeatedly deployed as platforms for partisan endorsements, their neutrality, credibility and moral authority are placed at serious risk,” HURIWA said.

The association therefore urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, university authorities and student organisations to resist attempts to turn their platforms into campaign machinery.

It said the 2027 election should reflect the choices of voters rather than the political preferences of influential individuals or institutions.

HURIWA also stressed that no traditional ruler, religious leader, academic authority or student organisation had the constitutional power to determine how Nigerians would vote.

“The people, and only the people through their votes, possess that democratic authority,” it said.

The group called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to protect the electoral process from partisan pressure and institutional interference.

It also urged security and law-enforcement agencies to ensure that Nigerians were not intimidated, threatened, induced or coerced because of their political preferences.

HURIWA further called for equal opportunities for all political parties to campaign and communicate their programmes to voters.

The association warned that the credibility of the 2027 election would depend not only on what happens on election day but also on the political environment leading to the poll.

It urged traditional institutions to protect their independence and longstanding legitimacy from partisan politics.

“A palace belongs to the people and history; it must not become a campaign office for any political party,” HURIWA said.

The group similarly appealed to religious and academic institutions to preserve their independence and protect public confidence in their roles.

HURIWA finally urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and resist attempts to substitute the preferences of powerful individuals or institutions for the constitutional right of citizens to freely choose their leaders.