The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review its practice of appointing politically exposed academics as Returning and Collation Officers for the 2027 general elections.

The party's call follows a newspaper report that more than 600 senior lecturers from public universities across Northern Nigeria have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

According to the ADC, the reported endorsements raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest, particularly because university lecturers and vice chancellors have frequently been appointed by INEC to perform sensitive electoral duties, including the collation of results and declaration of winners.

The party acknowledged that academics, like every other Nigerian, have a constitutional right to support or endorse candidates of their choice. However, it argued that individuals who have publicly taken a partisan position should not subsequently be assigned responsibilities that could place them in a position to influence or determine the outcome of an election involving their preferred candidate.

The ADC said the issue was fundamentally about maintaining public confidence in the neutrality of election officials.

“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 party said.

ADC Calls for Clear Eligibility Criteria

The party urged INEC to establish and publicly disclose clear criteria for the selection of Returning and Collation Officers ahead of the 2027 elections.

Under the proposed criteria, the ADC said prospective election officials who have publicly endorsed candidates, participated in partisan political activities or demonstrated clear political affiliations should be excluded from sensitive electoral responsibilities.

The party also called for greater transparency in the appointment process. It urged INEC to publish the names of proposed Returning and Collation Officers sufficiently early before the elections to enable political parties, civil society organisations and members of the public to identify and raise legitimate concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

According to the ADC, early disclosure would allow concerns to be addressed before election results are collated and declared, rather than after disputes have emerged.

Electoral Credibility Begins With Neutrality

The ADC maintained that public confidence in the electoral process depends not only on the conduct of voters and the voting process but also on the perceived neutrality of officials responsible for administering elections and handling results.

“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 party said.

The ADC argued that Nigerians should not be placed in a situation where individuals who have openly expressed support for a particular candidate are later expected to serve as neutral arbiters in the same electoral contest.

The party's position places renewed attention on the need for robust safeguards around the appointment of election officials as preparations gradually build towards the 2027 general elections.

As INEC begins preparations for the elections, the ADC said ensuring that officials responsible for critical stages of the electoral process are demonstrably neutral would be essential to protecting public confidence in the credibility and fairness of the exercise.