Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to reveal the companies awarded contracts to produce sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections, cautioning that keeping ballot printing and key personnel appointments secret could erode public trust in the polls.
His inquiry followed concerns raised by the African Democratic Congress about alleged ethnic bias in INEC’s recent personnel postings and redeployments, with the party demanding an explanation from the electoral body before the 2027 general elections.
The electoral body has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku specifically urged INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company linked to it, had been awarded a contract to print sensitive materials for the 2027 elections.
Atiku said the information available to him indicated that over half of INEC’s sensitive election materials, including those for the presidential ballot, may have been assigned to a company thought to be based in France, whose identity and credentials had not been made public.
He further voiced concern over reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc might print election materials for only 15 to 17 states, leaving the rest to private companies.
“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.
“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to discover who is producing their ballots,” he said.
The former vice-president tied the controversy to wider worries regarding the independence of electoral institutions during President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He contended that the government’s management of key contracts and the reported shifts within INEC might stir suspicions of political interference should the commission fail to offer adequate explanations.
Atiku further raised doubts about whether Hitech or a related firm could obtain a contract to produce sensitive election materials, pointing to publicly reported business connections between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the Tinubu family.
“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.
He called on the commission to reveal the names of the companies that received the contracts, especially where the printing was not being done by NSPMC.
Atiku advocated for stronger use of capable local security-printing capacity, maintaining that all ballot papers, result sheets, and other sensitive election documents should be tracked through a transparent chain of custody.
He also voiced concerns about foreign companies printing higher-denomination banknotes, calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria to reveal its current printing arrangements and clarify the roles of NSPMC and any foreign contractors.
Atiku likewise expressed worries about recent staffing changes at the electoral commission, especially in the departments handling election administration and technology.
The statement referenced reports that Isa Magaji Gum had been reassigned from Electoral Operations to the Voter Registry Department, while Mrs. Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was appointed to lead Electoral Operations. Dr. Lawrence Bayode was additionally named as the head of Information and Communication Technology.
Atiku stated that INEC ought to explain the circumstances behind the changes and show that the decisions rested on merit and due process, free from political interference.
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“These departments are at the heart of election administration. INEC must explain these decisions, publish the criteria applied, and show that every appointment and redeployment followed due process, was based on merit, and was free from political interference. Nigerians will not accept vague assurances on matters this serious,” he said.
In a statement released on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it had obtained intelligence and received direct complaints regarding the changes, cautioning that unless properly clarified, this trend could cast doubt on INEC’s impartiality.
However, in the statement, the party did not provide the names of the officers involved or any documentary proof to back up its claims.
“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. INEC may dismiss this as routine. But we have noticed a pattern, especially along ethnic lines, and we are concerned,” the statement read.
The ADC stated that it was not yet accusing the commission of any nefarious motive but insisted that allegations capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process should not be dismissed as routine administrative decisions.
“Regardless of the commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters,” the party said.
It further stated that any staffing decision implying ethnic or sectional favoritism in key operational roles could heighten suspicions that the electoral process was being skewed to benefit President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The party called on INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN) to make public the specifics of the recent postings, the standards applied in choosing officers for those roles, and the rationale for the changes.
The ADC noted that releasing such information would help reassure Nigerians nationwide that electoral officials would carry out their duties without bias, regardless of their ethnic, linguistic, or regional backgrounds.
The party cautioned that failing to address the allegations could severely undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections.
“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” it said.
This controversy arises as political parties start gearing up for the 2027 general elections, with INEC anticipated to play a key role in organizing the polls and making sure that Nigerians’ votes are faithfully reflected in the results.
