Former Vice-President questions alleged redeployments at INEC headquarters, demands full disclosure of 2027 election contracts and warns against any attempt to manipulate the polls.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised the alarm over reported shake-ups in key departments of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and alleged irregularities surrounding the production, printing and custody of sensitive materials for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Atiku is demanding immediate answers from the electoral body, insisting that Nigerians must not be kept in the dark over decisions that could affect the credibility of the next presidential election.
In a strongly worded statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president said reported redeployments within INEC’s critical departments had raised serious questions about the commission’s transparency, independence and preparedness for the 2027 polls.
According to the statement, Director Isa Magaji Gum was reportedly moved from the Electoral Operations Department 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 (ICT).
Atiku said the changes demanded clear explanations, warning that Nigerians would not accept vague assurances when the integrity of the electoral process was at stake.
“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,” he said.
He stressed that no official should be presumed compromised because of ethnicity, background or personal associations. However, he argued that reports of political connections or a concentration of appointments made verifiable assurances from INEC imperative.
Ballot-Printing Contracts Under Scrutiny
The former vice-president also turned the spotlight on alleged arrangements for printing sensitive election materials, demanding that INEC categorically confirm or deny whether Hitech or any company associated with it had secured a contract for the 2027 general election.
Atiku said information available to him suggested that more than half of INEC’s sensitive election materials, including presidential ballot assets, might have been allocated to a company whose identity and credentials had not been publicly disclosed and which was believed to be based in France.
He also questioned reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMC) might be responsible for printing election materials for only 15 to 17 states, with private companies handling the remaining assignments.
The claims have prompted Atiku to demand a comprehensive public disclosure of every company involved in the production of sensitive election materials.
He wants INEC to publish the names of all contractors, identify the materials and states assigned to each company, explain the procurement procedures followed and disclose the security clearances and safeguards governing production, storage and delivery.
“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.
Atiku insisted that the public should not have to rely on anonymous sources to discover who is producing the ballot papers that will determine the country's political future.
Hitech Connection Raises Fresh Questions
Atiku further argued that any award of sensitive election-material contracts to Hitech or an associated company would raise serious concerns about INEC’s neutrality, citing publicly reported business ties between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the family of President Bola Tinubu.
He maintained that the commission must address such concerns openly and provide evidence that its decisions are free from political influence.
However, the reported contract arrangements and alleged allocations remain claims requiring official confirmation from INEC.
Atiku also urged the commission to maximise the use of qualified domestic security-printing capacity, insisting that every ballot paper, result sheet and other sensitive document must be traceable and protected by a transparent chain of custody.
Nigerians Will Not Accept a Stolen Election
In his strongest warning yet, Atiku said the 2027 general election must not become business as usual, cautioning INEC officials against any attempt to compromise the process.
He accused the government of presiding over worsening economic hardship and warned against any perceived attempt to use electoral institutions to secure political survival.
“A government that has driven millions of Nigerians into hardship must not be allowed to turn the electoral umpire into an instrument of political survival,” he said.
Atiku warned that any attempt to undermine the people's votes would provoke determined opposition through lawful and democratic means.
“Nigerians who have been impoverished and pushed into extreme poverty will resist any subversion of their votes through legitimate, peaceful and democratic means,” he declared.
He added: “Let there be no mistake: Nigerians will not accept a stolen election. Any attempt to rig the 2027 polls will be met with determined resistance through the ballot, lawful civic action, and every other democratic channel available to the people.”
The former vice-president said INEC officials must recognise the weight of their responsibilities and understand that their conduct would be closely scrutinised.
As preparations for the 2027 elections continue, Atiku is demanding more than assurances from the electoral commission. He wants documentary evidence, transparent procurement records and clear explanations for decisions involving the officials, companies and systems entrusted with safeguarding Nigerians’ votes.
His central message is unmistakable:INEC must answer the questions now, before suspicion deepens and public confidence in the 2027 elections is put further to the test.
Atiku Questions INEC Shake-Up, Ballot Deals
