Nigeria: 2027 - Atiku Demands Names of Firms Printing INEC's Ballot Papers

ABUJA - 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.

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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."

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.