The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will still retain university vice chancellors as returning officers for governorship election and state collation officers for presidential poll in the forthcoming general election, but noted that it will scrutinise the list to be submitted to it. INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu at a meeting with Vice Chancellors in Abuja yesterday disclosed that the Commission will require the services of 23,258 personnel as collation and returning officers. Prof. Yakubu warned that those to be nominated should not be card carrying members or have participated in partisan politics of any political party.

“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,” he added.

The Chairman stated that the list, which must be confidential and in conformity with the manner prescribed in INEC’s letter to the Vice Chancellors, will be carefully scrutinised by the Commission. “As in previous elections, we have requested each university for a specified number and category of academic staff as contained in my letter to the Vice Chancellors. “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. (New Telegraph)