The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider the appointment of politically exposed academics as returning and collation officers for the 2027 elections.
The party made the demand in a statement issued on Monday, September 14, by its national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.
The ADC’s position followed a newspaper report that more than 600 senior lecturers from public universities in northern Nigeria had endorsed President Bola Tinubu for another term in the 2027 presidential election.
The party said the reported endorsement had raised questions about the neutrality of academics who could later be assigned responsibilities in the collation and declaration of election results.
University lecturers and vice-chancellors have frequently served as returning and collation officers during elections.
The ADC argued that their political activities should therefore be considered when INEC selects officials for sensitive electoral duties.
The party acknowledged that academics, like other Nigerians, have a constitutional right to support candidates of their choice.
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However, it maintained that those who publicly declare support for a candidate should not be placed in positions where they could influence or determine the outcome of an election involving that candidate.
“You cannot campaign for a candidate and then be entrusted with counting the votes and declaring winners in the same election that your candidate is contesting in,” the statement reads.
The ADC urged INEC to develop and publicly disclose criteria for screening prospective election officials, including academics who have endorsed candidates, participated in partisan activities or demonstrated clear political affiliations.
It also called on the electoral commission to release the names of proposed returning and collation officers well ahead of the elections.
According to the party, publishing the names early would give political parties and citizens an opportunity to identify and challenge potential conflicts of interest before election day.
“The integrity of an election does not begin when the first ballot is cast. It begins with the neutrality of the people entrusted to administer, collate, and declare its outcome,” the ADC said.
“Nigerians must never be placed in a position where those who have publicly chosen a side are subsequently presented as neutral arbiters of the contest.”
The party said the proposal was intended to strengthen confidence in the electoral process and ensure that officials responsible for managing the 2027 elections are seen to be impartial.