Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain its arrangements for printing sensitive election materials and recent personnel changes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku specifically asked the commission to disclose the companies contracted to produce ballot papers and other sensitive electoral documents, while the ADC raised concerns over alleged ethnic bias in the redeployment of officials to key departments.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku urged INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech or a company associated with it had secured a contract to print sensitive materials for the forthcoming elections.
He alleged that information available to him suggested that a significant portion of the materials, including presidential ballot papers, might have been assigned to a foreign-based company whose identity and credentials had not been publicly disclosed.
Atiku also expressed concern over reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc might handle election materials for only 15 to 17 states, leaving private companies to produce materials for other states.
“These reports demand urgent and unequivocal answers. INEC must confirm or deny them and publish the names of every company engaged, the materials and states assigned to each, the procurement method, the security clearances obtained and the safeguards governing production, storage and delivery,” he said.
The former vice-president argued that transparency in the production, storage and distribution of electoral materials was necessary to protect public confidence in the electoral process.
He further questioned the reported possibility of Hitech or an associated company handling sensitive election materials, citing publicly reported business links between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the family of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku urged INEC to prioritise qualified domestic security-printing capacity and ensure that every ballot paper, result sheet and other sensitive electoral document could be accounted for through a transparent chain of custody.
He also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to disclose the country’s currency-printing arrangements and clarify the respective roles of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc and any foreign contractors.
Beyond the contracts, Atiku questioned recent personnel changes in INEC’s Electoral Operations, Voter Registry and Information and Communication Technology departments.
He cited reports that Isa Magaji Gum had been moved from Electoral Operations to the Voter Registry Department, while Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was appointed to head Electoral Operations. Dr Lawrence Bayode was also identified as the head of Information and Communication Technology.
Atiku urged the commission to explain the criteria used for the appointments and redeployments, insisting that the decisions should be based on merit and due process without political interference.
Similarly, the ADC accused INEC of making personnel changes that allegedly favoured officials from Lagos and other South-West states in sensitive departments.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it had received complaints concerning the transfer of some officials from northern states serving in Electoral Operations and Information and Communication Technology departments.
The party expressed concern that the alleged pattern of redeployment could raise questions about the commission’s neutrality if not properly explained.
However, the ADC did not provide the names of the affected officials or documentary evidence to substantiate its allegations in the statement.
The party said it was not accusing INEC of any wrongdoing but called on the commission to provide explanations that would reassure Nigerians about the impartiality of its election preparations.
It urged INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to publish details of the recent postings, the criteria used to select officers for the positions and the reasons behind the changes.
The ADC warned that failure to address the concerns could undermine public confidence in the 2027 elections, urging the commission to demonstrate transparency in its procurement and personnel decisions.
