Monday, October 12, 2026 - Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disclose who is printing sensitive materials for the 2027 elections, warning that opaque contracts and key departmental redeployments could undermine confidence in the polls.
His central concern is that Nigerians could head into a decisive
election without knowing who is producing their ballots, how the contracts were
awarded or what safeguards exist against political interference.
In a statement by his Director of Strategic Communication,
Phrank Shaibu, for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign
Council, Atiku demanded explanations for reported changes in INEC’s Electoral
Operations Department and allegations that a substantial share of sensitive
election materials had been allocated to private contractors.
Reports indicate that Director Isa Magaji Gum was 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 head of Information and Communication
Technology.
“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.”
Atiku also demanded that INEC confirm or deny whether Hitech, or
any company associated with it, had secured a contract to print sensitive
election materials.
He alleged that more than half of the materials, including
presidential ballot assets, might have been allocated to an undisclosed company
believed to be based in France. He further questioned reports that the Nigerian
Security Printing and Minting Plc was printing materials for only 15 to 17
states, leaving private firms to handle the remainder.
“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to
discover who is producing their ballots,” he said, demanding the disclosure of
contractors, allocations, procurement methods and security arrangements.
Atiku argued that any contract awarded to Hitech or an
associated company would raise questions about INEC’s neutrality, citing
publicly reported business ties between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech,
and the Tinubu family.
The former vice-president also pointed to controversy
surrounding Hitech contracts under President Bola Tinubu’s administration,
including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
“If neither Hitech nor a company associated with it has been
selected, INEC must say so clearly and put the matter beyond doubt,” he said.
He urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to disclose its
banknote-printing allocations and explain the roles of domestic and foreign
contractors, while calling on INEC to maximise domestic security-printing
capacity and ensure every ballot and result sheet is protected by a transparent
chain of custody.
Atiku warned that Nigerians battered by economic hardship would
resist any attempt to subvert their votes, insisting that the 2027 election
must not become an instrument for prolonging the Tinubu administration’s hold
on power.
“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.”
He said the ADC would monitor INEC’s preparations and alert
domestic and international observers to any lack of transparency, insisting
that the commission must prove its impartiality through verifiable disclosures.
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