RismadarVoice Reporters
September 19, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is facing calls to clarify how it will handle academics who publicly endorse political candidates before appointing officials for sensitive duties in the 2027 general election.
The debate followed reports that more than 600 senior academics from public universities across Northern Nigeria had endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term. The endorsement has prompted questions from opposition and civil society groups about whether academics who publicly support candidates should later serve as Returning or Collation Officers.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has asked INEC to establish clear eligibility criteria for such appointments. The party acknowledged that academics have the right to support political candidates but argued that openly partisan individuals should not subsequently perform sensitive electoral duties involving candidates they have endorsed.
ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said the concern was about potential conflicts of interest and public confidence in the electoral process.
The party also wants INEC to publish the names of proposed Returning and Collation Officers early enough for political parties and members of the public to raise documented concerns about possible conflicts before the election.
Civil society organisation Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, CHRICED, has similarly argued that recent partisan political activity should be considered when selecting officials for roles requiring neutrality.
However, the controversy does not establish that the academics who reportedly endorsed Tinubu have been selected by INEC for the 2027 election, nor is there evidence presented that they have manipulated election results.
The issue therefore centres on eligibility, conflict-of-interest safeguards and public confidence, rather than an established case of electoral misconduct.
INEC has previously used university academics for sensitive election assignments, but the commission retains responsibility for selecting and deploying election personnel.
With the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for February 20, 2027, attention is increasingly turning to the safeguards INEC will apply when selecting officials responsible for critical stages of the electoral process.
