The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the use of politically exposed academics as returning and collation officers for the 2027 elections.

The party made the call in a statement issued on Monday by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national publicity secretary.

The ADC’s position followed a newspaper report that more than 600 senior lecturers from public universities across northern Nigeria had endorsed President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election.

The party said the reported endorsement raises concerns about electoral credibility and potential conflict of interest, particularly because university lecturers and vice-chancellors have routinely been appointed to collate election results and declare winners.

The ADC acknowledged that academics, like every other Nigerian, have the constitutional right to support or endorse political candidates.

However, the party argued that anyone who has openly taken a partisan position should not subsequently be entrusted with determining the outcome of an election involving the candidate they endorsed.

“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 statement reads.

The ADC urged INEC to establish and publish clear criteria that would exclude academics and other prospective election officials who have publicly endorsed candidates, participated in partisan political activities or demonstrated an obvious political affiliation.

The party also asked the commission to publish the names of proposed returning and collation officers sufficiently ahead of the elections.

According to the party, early publication would allow political parties and members of the public to identify and raise legitimate concerns about possible conflicts of interest.

“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 ADC said.

“Nigerians must never be placed in a position where those who have publicly chosen a side are subsequently presented as neutral arbiters of the contest.”

The party said its call was aimed at strengthening public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to take proactive measures regarding the attack on its presidential candidate in Benue State.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, made the call on Friday while fielding questions in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, asking the police to make the prosecution of the culprits public.

He commended the arrest of 46 suspects linked to the attack but warned against the tendency to sweep the matter under the carpet.

Director, therefore, demanded greater accountability, urging the police to ensure that those arrested are prosecuted publicly.

“The police should have prevented those miscreants and hoodlums from gathering at that place to block our presidential candidate from entering Benue or, in the worst-case scenario, arrested them on the spot while they were there.

“They should not have waited for the event to happen before they started reacting. But still, we commend them for taking this professional decision of going after those suspected to have committed that act.

“We are also using this opportunity to demand from the Inspector-General of Police that this should not just be a round-off situation where we hear about arrests but, at the end of the day, we don’t know what happened to those who were arrested,” he said.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says he has redeemed promises made to Super Eagles players, Super Falcons and the D’Tigress following their performances in various competitions.

Last year, the D’Tigress won the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket title, while the Super Falcons, won their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in Morocco earlier this year.

After the victories, the President promised the Atheletes various rewards ranging from national honors to cash reward.

In a post on his X handle on Thursday, President Tinubu said “a promise made must be a promise kept.”

The President said “today, the rewards I promised our D’Tigress have been fully redeemed.

“Each player has received the naira equivalent of $100,000, while each official has received the equivalent of $50,000, completing their package of cash rewards, national honours and three-bedroom homes in Abuja.”

President Tinubu explained that for the first time, a Federal Government has fulfilled this scale of presidential sporting rewards in full within one year.

He stated that the delay followed the process of the law, “We had to follow the processes required by law and ensure that every commitment was properly implemented. That took time, but a promise made must be a promise kept.

“We are also concluding the outstanding cash rewards for our Super Falcons.” He said.

The statement said the Super Falcons players and officials have already received the title documents to their house allocations and National Honours certificates.

“Likewise, the promise of houses and national honours I made to Super Eagles players has since been redeemed.”

“Our athletes who bring honour to Nigeria deserve more than applause. They deserve a country that keeps its word.

“My promise to every Nigerian Athelete is make Nigeria proud, and come back to a grateful Nation.”