INEC to Review Use of University Professors as Returning Officers

The newly confirmed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has announced a major review of the long-standing practice of appointing university lecturers as Returning Officers for elections. This pivotal decision, announced during his Senate screening and confirmation on Thursday, has garnered immediate support from major political parties who described it as a critical step towards strengthening electoral integrity.

The review pledge came in response to pointed questions from senators who alleged that several professors previously engaged as Returning Officers had failed integrity tests. While Prof. Amupitan stated he could not make an immediate decision, he committed to a thorough evaluation upon assuming office.

“We’ll review the entire process and ensure that those who handle election results are not only competent, but credible,” the new INEC boss affirmed.

The role of a Returning Officer, which involves the critical tasks of collating constituency-level results and declaring winners, has been traditionally entrusted to senior academics. However, this practice has been increasingly marred by controversy, with some officers accused of corrupt practices, including result manipulation and wrongful declarations. A notable case is that of Prof. Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, who was sentenced to three years in prison for perjury and publishing false results during the 2019 elections.

Reacting to the planned review, major political parties expressed widespread support. The All Progressives Congress, through its Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, urged all stakeholders to back the new chairman.

“Well, as a learned person and as someone who has specialised in a particular segment of the law that deals with evidence and fairness, I think, as a senior advocate, there are reasons to say so,” Ibrahim stated. “Being a professor does not make you a superhuman being; being a professor does not exempt you or make you above mistakes. If, as professors and academicians, the expectations placed on them have not been fulfilled… I think he should be given the go-ahead and support to do so in the interest of fairness and justice.”

Echoing this sentiment, the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, argued that the academic title alone is no guarantee of integrity.

“The truth is, being a professor does not automatically make one incorruptible or free from questionable character. The title, ‘professor,’ is just an appellation,” Osadolor said. “Ideally, one would assume that anyone who has risen through the academic ranks to attain professorship would have developed integrity and resilience. However, that is not always the case.”

Osadolor called for a broader inclusion of credible individuals from beyond academia, suggesting that “civil society leaders should be included in these processes to ensure transparency and broader participation.”

The New Nigeria People’s Party emphasised that while the review was welcome, the new INEC chairman must not lose sight of other fundamental electoral challenges. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, highlighted the urgent need to secure the election result transmission process.

“It’s crucial to secure results directly from each polling unit before they are transmitted to the states, as tampering often occurs along that route. That’s the area he needs to tighten and work on first,” Johnson advised.

Civil society organisations also weighed in, stressing that integrity, not professional background, should be the paramount criterion. Debo Adeniran of the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership noted, “Integrity is not a function of any particular profession anyway, not even in the clergy… What the new INEC Chairman should do is to raise anybody that he deems has the history of integrity, clean record of service delivery.”

Similarly, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group, stated, “I will request the new INEC Chairman to prioritise bringing in people with integrity, not necessarily people with University qualifications or a certificate.”