Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over the appointment of two Yoruba officers to head strategic departments of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
In a statement on Sunday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Mrs. Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi and Dr. Lawrence Bayode were appointed to head the Electoral Operations and Voter Registry Department and the Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Department respectively.
Adeyemi-Showunmi was reported to have replaced Magaji Gum as head of Electoral Operations.
Atiku described both departments as critical to election administration and asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to steer clear of the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He demanded that INEC publish the criteria and due process for the appointments.
“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 said.
The former Vice President also called on INEC to disclose details of companies engaged to print 2027 election materials, including procurement methods, security clearances and safeguards for production, storage and delivery.
“INEC must confirm or deny them and publish the names of every company engaged, the materials and states assigned to each,” he said.
He warned against alleged plots to manipulate the 2027 polls, saying Nigerians would resist any attempt to subvert the process through democratic 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,” he added.
He fixed January 16, 2027, as a date Nigerians would not accept a compromised poll.
INEC and the Presidency were yet to respond to the allegations as of press time.
