Avoid Appointing Partisan Lecturers as Returning Officers at Poll, ADC Tells INEC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the use of politically exposed academics as Returning and Collation Officers for the 2027 general election. The party's call followed a newspaper report that over 600 senior lecturers from public universities in Northern Nigeria had endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election. The ADC said this raises concerns about electoral credibility and conflict of interest, given that university lecturers and vice chancellors are often entrusted with collating election results and declaring winners. The party acknowledged the constitutional right of Nigerians, including academics, to support any political candidate.

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