Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has demanded full transparency from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over reported redeployments in key departments and the manufacturing of delicate supplies for the 2027 normal elections.
In a press release on Saturday by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stated studies of modifications within the Electoral Operations Department require speedy clarification from the fee.
Reports point out that Director Isa Magaji Gum was moved from Electoral Operations to the Voter Registry Department, whereas Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was appointed to go Electoral Operations. Dr Lawrence Bayode was additionally recognized as head of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
“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 stated.
He stated no official must be presumed compromised due to ethnicity, background or associations, however the place reported political connections elevate public concern, INEC should present verifiable assurances.
Atiku stated the developments can’t be separated from what he described because the failure of the Tinubu administration and public anger over its insurance policies.
“A government that has driven millions of Nigerians into hardship must not be allowed to turn the electoral umpire into an instrument of political survival,” he stated.
Atiku additionally requested INEC to verify or deny whether or not Hitech or any firm related to Hitech has been awarded a contract to print delicate supplies for the 2027 election.
He stated data accessible to him signifies that greater than half of INEC’s delicate supplies, together with presidential poll property, could have been allotted to an organization whose identification has not been disclosed and which is believed to be based mostly in France. He additionally cited studies that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMC) could deal with printing for under 15 to 17 states, with the rest dealt with by non-public companies.
“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,” he stated.
He stated any award of delicate materials contracts to Hitech or an related firm would compromise INEC’s neutrality, given reported enterprise ties between the Chagoury household, which owns Hitech, and the Tinubu household.
“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,” Atiku stated.
He famous that the matter requires scrutiny given the controversy round main contracts awarded to Hitech underneath the Tinubu administration, together with the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which the federal government stated was awarded by a particular procurement course of.
“If Hitech or any company associated with it has been selected, INEC must immediately disclose the contract, its value, scope of work and procurement method,” he stated, including that if no such firm was chosen, INEC ought to state so clearly.
Atiku urged INEC to utilize home security-printing capability and guarantee a clear chain of custody for poll papers, outcome sheets and different delicate paperwork. He additionally known as on the Central Bank of Nigeria to reveal its present printing allocations for higher-denomination banknotes and the position of NSPMC and international contractors.
He warned that the 2027 election can’t be enterprise as traditional, saying Nigerians will resist any try and subvert their votes by lawful means.
“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,” Atiku stated.
He stated the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will monitor the method and alert home and worldwide observers to any lack of transparency.
“Nigerians are entitled to demand answers about the institutions and processes that will determine their votes. INEC must not ask the public to accept assurances in place of accountability,” he stated.
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