Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disclose the identities of companies contracted to produce ballot papers and other sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku said transparency surrounding the production, storage and distribution of election materials was essential to protecting the credibility of the polls and maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
In a statement issued by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on behalf of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, the former vice-president also demanded explanations for reported changes involving key officials in INEC’s departments responsible for electoral operations, voter registration and information technology.
Atiku specifically asked the commission to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company associated with it, had secured a contract to print sensitive election materials.
He alleged that more than half of the materials, including those relating to the presidential ballot, might have been assigned to an unnamed company believed to be based in France. He also questioned reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc was handling printing for only 15 to 17 states, with private firms expected to undertake the remaining assignments.
The former vice-president urged INEC to publish the names of all contractors, the materials assigned to each company, the states covered, the procurement methods used and the security measures put in place to protect the materials.
He further argued that any contract awarded to Hitech or an affiliated company would require particular scrutiny, citing publicly reported business links between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and President Bola Tinubu’s family.
Atiku said INEC should also disclose the value, scope and terms of any such contract, alongside details of the contractor’s technical capacity and security arrangements.
On the reported staff changes, he called on the commission to explain the criteria used for appointments and redeployments, insisting that the decisions must follow due process and remain free from political interference.
He also urged INEC to maximize the use of qualified domestic security-printing facilities and ensure that every ballot paper, result sheet and other sensitive election document was protected through a verifiable chain of custody.
Atiku warned that Nigerians would not accept any attempt to undermine the 2027 elections, adding that his party would monitor the commission’s preparations and raise concerns about any perceived lack of transparency.
INEC’s response to the specific allegations was not included in the report.
