The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of partaking in ethnically motivated personnel postings forward of the 2027 normal elections.
Consequently, the opposition occasion has known as on the electoral umpire to make clear allegations that current postings and deployments throughout the fee had been pushed by sectional pursuits to favor officers from President Bola Tinubu’s South-West geopolitical zone.
In a press release issued yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, revealed that the occasion is in possession of intelligence and direct complaints concerning current personnel adjustments and redeployments in strategic departments and stations throughout the fee.
The opposition occasion claimed to have acquired stories indicating that a number of senior officers from the Northern area who beforehand served in essential divisions—reminiscent of Electoral Operations and ICT—are being systematically reassigned to secondary roles.
“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 occasion mentioned.
While clarifying that it’s not but accusing INEC of a deliberate sinister plot, the ADC careworn that any allegation able to eroding public belief in the electoral umpire have to be addressed decisively.
“Especially if those allegations border on sectional bias that could actively undermine the neutrality of election officials and the Commission’s own impartiality,” the occasion said.
“Regardless of the Commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters. 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 known as on the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to publicly publish the complete posting checklist, the choice standards, and the rationale behind the redeployments.
The occasion urged the fee to reassure residents throughout all areas that their electoral decisions will probably be protected no matter ethnic or linguistic background.
“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” the occasion warned.
Efforts to acquire INEC’s response to the allegations had been unsuccessful as of the time of submitting this report.
Calls put by to the fee’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, and Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, weren’t answered. WhatsApp messages despatched to each officers in search of the fee’s response additionally had not acquired replies as of press time.
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