Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disclose the companies contracted to print sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections and explain recent personnel changes in key departments.
Atiku said Nigerians deserved transparency over the production of ballot papers and other electoral documents, warning that unanswered questions about procurement and staff redeployments could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The concerns were conveyed in a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
Atiku specifically asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company linked to it, had secured a contract to print sensitive materials for the elections.
He also requested the publication of the names of all companies involved in producing presidential ballot papers and other electoral documents, the materials and states assigned to each contractor, the procurement methods adopted and the security arrangements governing production, storage and delivery.
According to the statement, information available to the former vice-president suggested that more than half of INEC’s sensitive election materials might have been assigned to a company believed to be based in France. He said the identity and credentials of the alleged contractor had not been made public.
Atiku further questioned the reported extent of the involvement of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMC), suggesting that the state-owned company might be responsible for printing materials for only 15 to 17 states, with private firms handling the remaining assignments.
“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.
“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to discover who is producing their ballots.”
The former vice-president linked the concerns to broader questions about the independence of electoral institutions under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He also referred to publicly reported business connections between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the Tinubu family, arguing that any contract awarded to Hitech or an associated company for the production of sensitive election materials would require clear explanations from INEC.
Atiku maintained that ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive documents should be handled through secure, traceable processes, adding that qualified domestic security-printing facilities should be fully considered.
He also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to disclose its current banknote-printing arrangements and clarify the respective responsibilities of the NSPMC and any foreign contractors involved.
Beyond the printing contracts, Atiku raised concerns about recent staff redeployments in 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 had been appointed to head Electoral Operations. Dr Lawrence Bayode was also identified as the head of Information and Communication Technology.
Atiku called on INEC to explain the circumstances surrounding the appointments and transfers, publish the criteria applied and demonstrate that the decisions followed established procedures.
“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, however, cautioned against assuming that any INEC official was compromised on the basis of ethnicity, personal associations or background, insisting that the commission should address the concerns through evidence and transparent disclosures.
Separately, the ADC expressed concern over the reported redeployment of officers from northern states serving in sensitive INEC departments and their replacement by officials from Lagos and other South-West states.
In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC had received intelligence and direct complaints about the transfers, which it believed warranted an explanation from the electoral commission.
The party did not identify the affected officers or provide documentary evidence to substantiate the allegations in its 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. 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 said it was not alleging that INEC had an established ulterior motive but warned that personnel decisions affecting strategic departments could generate suspicion if the commission failed to explain the reasons for them.
It also cautioned that perceptions of ethnic or regional preference in key operational positions could raise questions about the impartiality of election administration and fuel allegations of favouritism towards President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party called on INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), to publish details of the recent postings, explain the criteria used to select officers for the affected positions and state the reasons for the changes.
According to the ADC, such disclosures would help reassure Nigerians that electoral officials would discharge their responsibilities without discrimination based on 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 said.
The demands place the commission under pressure to clarify its procurement arrangements and personnel decisions ahead of the 2027 polls. However, the claims concerning the alleged foreign printing contractor, the allocation of printing contracts and the regional pattern of staff transfers remain allegations requiring clarification and supporting evidence.
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