2027: ADC warns INEC against using ‘partisan lecturers’ as returning officers

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

While acknowledging the right of any Nigerian, including academics, to support a political candidate, ADC argues that a conflict of interest arises when such individuals are entrusted with the responsibility of collating election results. In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC's National Publicity Secretary, the party emphasizes that no person who has openly taken a partisan stance should subsequently be tasked with determining the outcome of an election involving that candidate.

ADC urges INEC to establish and publish clear criteria that disqualify academics and other election officials who have publicly endorsed candidates, participated in partisan political activities, or demonstrated clear political affiliations. The party also recommends that INEC publish the names of the proposed Returning and Collation Officers well in advance of the elections, providing ample time for political parties and the public to identify and raise any legitimate conflict-of-interest concerns.

ADC argues that the integrity of an election is not established solely when the first ballot is cast, but rather it begins with the neutrality of the individuals entrusted to administer, collate, and declare the election's outcome. They stress that Nigerians must not be placed in a position where those who have publicly chosen a side are subsequently perceived as impartial arbiters in the contest.