Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify concerns over contracts for printing sensitive election materials and recent personnel postings ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday through the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, asked INEC to disclose the companies contracted to produce ballot papers and other sensitive materials. He specifically urged the commission to confirm or deny reports that Hitech or an associated company had secured part of the contracts.
He also demanded details of the companies involved, the materials and states assigned to them, the procurement process and security measures for production, storage and delivery. Atiku argued that transparency was necessary to protect the credibility of the elections and prevent public suspicion of political interference.
The former vice-president further questioned reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc might handle election materials for only 15 to 17 states, with private companies responsible for the remainder. He called for greater use of qualified domestic security-printing facilities and urged relevant authorities to disclose arrangements for printing sensitive documents.
Atiku also expressed concern over recent staff transfers within INEC, particularly in departments responsible for electoral operations, voter registration and information technology. He called on the commission to explain the reasons for the changes and demonstrate that appointments and redeployments were based on merit and due process.
Similarly, the ADC alleged that some officers from northern states serving in sensitive departments had been transferred and replaced by officials from Lagos and other South-West states. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the reported pattern raised concerns about regional balance and INEC’s neutrality.
The party urged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to publish details of the affected officers, the criteria used for the postings and the reasons behind the changes. However, the ADC did not provide names of the affected officers or documentary evidence to substantiate its allegations in the statement.
Both Atiku and the ADC said INEC needed to address the concerns through verifiable disclosures to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Post comments (0)