ADC Warns INEC Against Partisan Lecturers as Officers

On 15 September 2026, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) issued a warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the appointment of lecturers as Returning and Collation Officers for the upcoming 2027 general election. The party expressed concerns that engaging academics who have publicly endorsed candidates, specifically noting over 600 lecturers from public universities in the North endorsing President Bola Tinubu, could lead to conflicts of interest and diminish public confidence in the electoral process.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC's National Publicity Secretary, emphasized that individuals who have campaigned for candidates should not be responsible for counting votes or declaring election outcomes. The ADC called for INEC to establish clear criteria to disqualify such individuals and to publish the names of proposed electoral officials in advance to allow for public scrutiny.

The party stressed that the integrity of elections begins with the neutrality of those administering them.