2023 election: INEC meets NUC, over collation, returning officers

As part of continuing partnership to consolidate democaracy, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has visited the National Universities Commission, NUC,to request deployment of a specified number and category of academic staff for the 2023 general election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Thursday at a meeting with vice chancellors of Nigerian universities held at the conference room of the National Universities Commission, Abuja.

Yakubu however warned that staff who are card-carrying members or have participated in partisan politics should not be nominated.

“Similarly, those who may not be involved in partisan politics but are known to have obvious political leanings should not be nominated.

“Furthermore, those who have been convicted of electoral malpractice must be excluded. The Commission will carefully scrutinise the list which must be submitted confidentially in the manner prescribed by Commission in my letter to the Vice Chancellors,” he further warned.

The INEC boss added that like all election duty personnel, each Collation and Returning Officer will swear to an oath of neutrality.

While expressing gratitude for the support of the Committee of Vice Chancellors for the meeting, he noted that without the involvement of tertiary institutions, especially the universities, the commission will find it extremely difficult to conduct credible elections.

“At the polling unit level, the critical segment of election duty staff is drawn from products of our universities and polytechnics involved in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

“For the various collation and declaration centres, the Commission draws the required Collation and Returning Officers from the academic staff of our universities, including the Vice Chancellors who serve as Returning Officers for Governorship election and State Collation Officers for Presidential election.

“Despite a few challenges, this happy partnership has further enhanced the transparency and credibility of the elections in Nigeria as well as public confidence in the process. The Commission wishes to sustain this partnership.

Yakubu disclosed that the 2023 general election will hold in 1,491 constituencies nationwide involving the Presidential, 28 Governorship, 190 Senatorial, 360 Federal and 993 State Constituencies.

“The 2023 General Election will involve the highest number of registered voters in the history of democratic elections in Nigeria. The final register of voters now stands at 93,469,008. Our final list also indicates that a total of 15,333 candidates have been nominated by the 18 political parties for the election.

“Collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas, 36 States and the FCT. In addition, we require Returning Officers for each constituency.

“Put together, we will engage 23,258 personnel as Collation and Returning Officers. It is for this reason that this meeting is of crucial. We need the support of our universities to source the requisite number of suitably academic staff of impeccable integrity who must also understand that this is a call to national service,” he said.