Atiku Reacts as INEC Appoints Two Yorubas Ahead of 2027

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over the appointment of two Yoruba officials to head key departments of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku called on the electoral commission to explain the appointments and disclose the criteria used in selecting the officials, insisting that Nigerians deserve transparency in the management of the electoral process.

The former vice president made his position known in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu.

He questioned the appointments of Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi as head of the Electoral Operations and Voter Registry Department and Dr Lawrence Bayode as head of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department.

Adeyemi-Showunmi was reportedly appointed to replace Magaji Gum, while Bayode heads the commission’s ICT department. Both departments play important roles in election administration.

Reacting to the development, Atiku urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to keep his hands off INEC, stressing that the commission must demonstrate its independence and ensure that the 2027 presidential election is free and fair.

He called on the electoral body to publish the criteria used in appointing Adeyemi-Showunmi and explain the process that led to the appointments.

Atiku argued that the sensitive nature of the departments made it necessary for INEC to provide clear explanations and assure Nigerians that its decisions were not influenced by political considerations.

“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. Nigerians will not accept vague assurances on matters this serious,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate also expressed concern over reports relating to the production of election materials ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He called on INEC to confirm or deny the reports and provide details of the companies engaged to produce the materials, the states assigned to them and the procurement procedures followed.

Atiku further demanded information about the security clearances obtained by the companies and the measures put in place to protect election materials during production, storage and delivery.

“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,” he said.

“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. INEC officials must understand that the country is watching and that they will be held accountable for their conduct,” he stated.

The development comes days after the ADC Presidential Campaign Council demanded greater transparency from INEC ahead of the nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

The campaign council had also cautioned the electoral commission against taking actions that could favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend on the commission’s ability to remain neutral and independent.

This was made known on Wednesday in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, following a World Press Conference addressed by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan.

Amupitan had announced that PVC collection would commence nationwide on October 9, following a recent voter registration exercise that produced more than 10.7 million new registrations.

The INEC chairman also called for the removal of bottlenecks affecting PVC distribution at the Local Government Area level to prevent eligible voters from being disenfranchised by logistical challenges.

In its reaction, the ADC campaign council argued that the number of newly registered voters would have little significance if those eligible to vote could not collect their PVCs before election day.

“Reading out figures of registration is nothing. What matters is the number of cards actually collected by Nigerians. What gives a citizen power on election day is not that his name is in a register somewhere, but that he has his PVC in his hand,” Ologbondiyan said.

The council expressed concern over alleged bureaucratic delays and difficulties at PVC collection centres, particularly in areas considered strongholds of opposition parties.

It urged INEC to decentralise PVC collection to the ward level, extend collection hours and introduce technology that would notify voters when their cards were ready.

The ADC campaign council also called on the electoral commission to ensure strict compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act throughout the electoral process, from voter registration to the declaration of results.

“We urge INEC to be independent and not take orders from the APC. INEC must remain an unbiased umpire and not operate as an extension of the ruling party,” Ologbondiyan stated.

The council further warned against unequal distribution or delayed release of PVCs, arguing that such practices could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

“When INEC begins to take dictation from the ruling party, when PVCs are made available in APC strongholds and hidden in opposition areas, then democracy is under threat,” he said.