Tinubu’s endorsement: Don’t use partisan lecturers for elections, ADC tells INEC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider the involvement of "partisan lecturers" as Returning and Collation Officers in the 2027 elections. This comes in response to the report that over 600 senior lecturers from public universities in the North have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the upcoming presidential election.

While the endorsement raises concerns about electoral credibility and conflicts of interest, as these individuals have frequently held the crucial role of collating election results, the ADC maintains that INEC must review its policies accordingly. The ADC acknowledges the constitutional right of academics, like all Nigerians, to support any political candidate but insists that those who have openly taken a partisan stance should not be entrusted with determining the outcome of an election involving that candidate.

According to the ADC, campaigning for a candidate and then being entrusted with counting votes and declaring the winner in the same election where one's candidate is contesting is unacceptable. Therefore, the party calls on INEC to establish and publish clear criteria, disqualifying academics and other prospective election officials who have supported candidates publicly or engaged in partisan political activities.

Additionally, the ADC urges INEC to publish the names of proposed Returning and Collation Officers well ahead of the elections, allowing political parties and citizens to identify and raise legitimate conflict-of-interest concerns. The ADC emphasizes that the integrity of an election does not start with the casting of the first ballot but with the neutrality of those entrusted with administering, collating, and declaring its results.

Nigerians must avoid a situation where those who have publicly chosen a side are later presented as impartial arbiters of the contest.