Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have raised fresh concerns over the credibility of the 2027 elections, demanding explanations from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over sensitive ballot-printing contracts and recent staff redeployments.
Atiku wants INEC to disclose the companies engaged to produce sensitive election materials, while the ADC has alleged ethnic bias in the redeployment of officials serving in strategic departments of the commission.
The opposition concerns come months before the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly polls scheduled for January 16, while governorship and state House of Assembly elections are fixed for February 6.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku demanded that INEC confirm or deny reports that Hitech or an associated company had secured contracts to print sensitive election materials.
The former vice-president said information available to him suggested that more than half of INEC’s sensitive election materials, including presidential ballot materials, might have been allocated to a company believed to be based in France.
He complained that the identity, credentials and contractual responsibilities of the alleged foreign company had not been made public.
Atiku also questioned reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMC), the country’s state-owned security-printing company, might be handling election materials for only 15 to 17 states, leaving private firms to produce materials for the remaining states.
He demanded that INEC publish the names of all companies awarded the contracts, the materials assigned to them, the states covered, the procurement methods used and the security arrangements governing production, storage and delivery.
“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to discover who is producing their ballots,” he said.
Atiku argued that secrecy surrounding the production of sensitive election materials could fuel suspicions of political interference and weaken public confidence in the electoral process.
He specifically questioned the reported possibility of Hitech or an associated company handling the materials, citing publicly reported business connections between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the family of President Bola Tinubu.
“The integrity of INEC in the forthcoming election will be seriously compromised if Hitech or a company associated with it is awarded a contract to produce sensitive election materials,” he said.
The allegations and questions raised by Atiku do not, by themselves, establish that the reported contracts have been awarded or that any company has compromised the electoral process.
He urged INEC to provide verifiable information about the arrangements, insisting that ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive documents must be protected by a transparent chain of custody.
Atiku also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to clarify arrangements for printing higher-denomination banknotes abroad, including the respective roles of NSPMC and foreign contractors.
INEC POSTINGS SPARK ETHNIC BIAS CLAIM
Beyond the ballot-printing controversy, Atiku questioned recent personnel changes in INEC departments responsible for electoral operations, voter registration and information technology.
The statement 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 asked INEC to explain the circumstances surrounding the changes and disclose the criteria used in making the appointments and redeployments.
He cautioned, however, against assuming that any official was compromised because of ethnicity, personal background or associations, saying the commission should address legitimate concerns with verifiable facts.
The ADC separately alleged that some officers from northern states serving in sensitive departments, including Electoral Operations and ICT, had been transferred and replaced by officials from Lagos and other South-West states.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it had received intelligence and direct complaints concerning the alleged pattern of redeployments.
The party did not, however, identify the affected officers or provide documentary evidence to substantiate the allegations in the statement.
“We have specific names of officers moved from Electoral Operations and ICT in a number of northern states and replaced with officers from Lagos and other South-West states,” the ADC said.
The party acknowledged that INEC might regard the changes as routine administrative decisions but argued that the alleged regional pattern required an explanation.
It said the appointments and redeployments could fuel suspicions that strategic positions were being concentrated in the hands of officials from a particular region.
The ADC warned that such perceptions could create doubts about the commission’s neutrality and raise fears that the electoral process might be tilted in favour of Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party urged INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), to publish details of the recent postings, the selection criteria and the reasons for the changes.
It insisted that Nigerians needed assurances that electoral officials would discharge their responsibilities impartially, regardless of their ethnic, linguistic or regional backgrounds.
“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” the party warned.
The controversy places renewed attention on INEC’s preparations for the 2027 polls, particularly the transparency of procurement decisions and the management of officials responsible for critical aspects of election administration.
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