CNPP Demands Full Transparency in Recruitment of Electoral Personnel

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been tasked by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) to be transparent in the recruitment of electoral personnel for the 2027 general elections.

In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ezema, the group warned against any attempt to compromise the exercise.

It stressed that no individual with demonstrable partisan commitments should be allowed to occupy sensitive electoral positions.

CNPP said it sounded this alarm because of the reported endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for re-election by over 600 senior academics from public universities in Northern Nigeria at a meeting convened in Kaduna by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr Ibrahim Masari.

INEC usually goes to the universities to get personnel to conduct its elections, but CNPP said the recent endorsement by university teachers could affect the integrity of the process.

The organisation said that though Nigerians have the right to support candidates of their choice, it was worried that some of the 600 senior lecturers could be recruited to prosecute the general elections, which could affect the outcome.

It said this concern has become particularly important because INEC has commenced its recruitment exercise for ad-hoc personnel for the 2027 general elections. The commission’s current recruitment portal identifies categories including Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, RAC Managers and Registration Area Technical Support personnel, with different eligibility requirements including Grade Level 10–14 for Supervisory Presiding Officers and Grade Level 07 and above for certain other categories.

INEC has announced that the 2027 recruitment exercise will involve a very large electoral workforce, making the integrity of the recruitment and screening process an issue of national importance.

More importantly, Section 27(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that INEC shall not appoint as an election officer any person who is a member of a political party or who has openly expressed support for any candidate. Section 27(2) further provides that appointed officers are to perform their functions under the authority of the Commission and not under the direction or control of any other person or authority.

CNPP said the law therefore establishes a clear statutory standard which must be applied consistently, transparently and without political discrimination.

“We stress that the CNPP is not alleging that the reported 600 academics were recruited for election duties, nor that INEC has compromised its recruitment process. There is presently no established evidence before us proving such a connection.

“But the absence of proof of such a connection today should not prevent Nigerians from demanding transparency before the electoral process reaches a point where questions become impossible to answer,” it stated in the statement.

The group called on INEC to publicly clarify whether any of the academics reported to have endorsed President Tinubu have applied for, been nominated for, been screened for or been considered for any INEC electoral assignment in 2027.

It also asks if the electoral body “will independently verify public political endorsements and other demonstrable partisan activities before appointing academics as Collation Officers, Returning Officers or other election personnel.”

In addition, the organisation queried what documentary standards INEC will use to determine whether an applicant has “openly expressed support for any candidate” within the meaning of Section 27 of the Electoral Act 2022.

CNPP said these questions and others are not an attempt to interfere with INEC’s constitutional independence, but to protect that independence by ensuring that no political actor, institution or individual is allowed to create circumstances that could cast doubt on the commission’s impartiality.

It, therefore, called on Nigerian civil society organisations, professional associations, media organisations, election observers, development partners and the international community to begin proactive monitoring of the 2027 electoral process now.

It also appealed to the international community and democratic institutions to pay particular attention to the independence and transparency of Nigeria’s electoral management system while respecting Nigeria’s sovereignty and the constitutional mandate of INEC.

The CNPP urged all political parties to refrain from attempting to compromise electoral personnel and to submit documentary evidence where they identify genuine conflicts of interest rather than relying on speculation or political accusations.