Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to disclose the companies contracted to print ballot papers and other sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku said Nigerians have a right to know which firms are handling the production of presidential ballot papers and other critical election documents, amid reports of the involvement of private and foreign-linked companies.
His demand was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Presidential Campaign Council.
Atiku specifically asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company allegedly associated with it, had secured a contract to print sensitive election materials.
He also demanded that the commission publish the names of all companies involved, the materials assigned to each contractor and the states covered by their respective contracts.
According to the statement, information available to Atiku suggested that more than half of INEC’s sensitive materials could have been allocated to a company believed to be based in France, although its identity had not been disclosed publicly.
He also questioned the reported role of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc, NSPMC, alleging that the government-owned printer might be responsible for materials covering only 15 to 17 states, with private firms handling the remainder.
“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.
“Nigerians should not have to depend on unnamed sources to discover who is producing their ballots,” Atiku said.
The former vice president further raised concerns over any possible involvement of Hitech, citing publicly reported business links between the Chagoury family, which owns the company, and the family of President Bola Tinubu.
He warned that awarding a contract for sensitive election materials to Hitech or an affiliated company could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“The integrity of INEC in the forthcoming election will be seriously compromised if Hitech or a company associated with it is awarded a contract to produce sensitive election materials,” he said.
Atiku also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to disclose its current arrangements for the production of higher-denomination naira notes and clarify the respective roles of NSPMC and any foreign contractors involved.
Atiku Questions INEC Staff Redeployments
Beyond ballot production, Atiku questioned recent redeployments involving officials in some of INEC’s key departments, including Electoral Operations, Voter Registry, and Information and Communication Technology.
The statement cited the transfer of Isa Magaji Gum from Electoral Operations to the Voter Registry Department, while Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was appointed to head Electoral Operations and Dr Lawrence Bayode to lead the ICT department.
Atiku described the departments as critical to the administration of the 2027 election and urged INEC to explain the basis for the changes.
“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 concluding that any INEC official was compromised simply because of ethnicity or regional background, stressing that concerns should be addressed through evidence.
ADC Raises Fresh Concerns
In a separate statement issued on Sunday, the ADC echoed Atiku’s concerns, alleging that some INEC personnel from northern states had been transferred from sensitive departments and replaced with officials from Lagos and other South-West states.
The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said it had received intelligence and complaints regarding the redeployments but did not publish the names of the affected officers or supporting documents.
“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 party said.
The ADC stressed that it was not accusing INEC of having an ulterior motive but warned that the commission’s failure to explain the postings could fuel suspicion ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Regardless of the commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters,” the party said.
The opposition party called on INEC Chairman, Prof.
Joash Amupitan, to publish details of the recent postings and explain the criteria and reasons behind the changes.
The latest demands come as political parties and stakeholders intensify scrutiny of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with the commission expected to undertake extensive procurement, logistics and personnel arrangements ahead of the polls.