By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of a pattern of personnel redeployments that allegedly favours the South-West, demanding an explanation for the reported movement of officers from northern states out of strategic departments.
The opposition party said the alleged changes raise questions about the commission’s neutrality ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly over whether the deployment of personnel in sensitive departments could give President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) an advantage.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it had received intelligence and direct complaints about recent postings in strategic departments and stations, including Electoral Operations and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“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 said it was not yet accusing INEC of any nefarious plan but warned that allegations of sectional bias could erode confidence in the electoral umpire.
“Especially if those allegations border on sectional bias that could actively undermine the neutrality of election officials and the Commission’s own impartiality,” it said.
The party insisted that the commission must address concerns over the reported concentration of personnel from a particular region in sensitive operational positions rather than dismiss them as routine administrative decisions.
“Regardless of the Commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters. And concentrating strategic operational appointments in a manner that suggests ethnic or sectional bias to give an advantage to President Tinubu and the APC must not be ignored,” the ADC said.
It called on INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to publish the affected postings, the selection criteria and the reasons for the redeployments, saying transparency was necessary to reassure Nigerians that no region would be disadvantaged in the electoral process.
“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” the party warned.
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