Varsity Lecturers Must Swear Oath Of Neutrality – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that university lecturers that will be deployed for this year’s general elections as ad hoc collation and returning officers must swear to an oath of neutrality.

The INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this on Thursday in Abuja, during a meeting with Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities at the National Universities Commission (NUC).

According to him, the oath of neutrality is for all election staff in line with section 26 of the Electoral Act 2022.

Yakubu said the commission would not deploy any university teacher with obvious political learning for the elections.

He said, “I must warn 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.”

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On his part, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, urged the lecturers that would be deployed for the elections to be professional in the discharge of their duties.

Also, the Chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof. Lilian Salami, assured that those that would be nominated would diligently discharge their responsibilities in the interest of democratic and national development.