By Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to name every company producing sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections, warning that secrecy over ballot printing and key staff appointments could erode public trust in the polls. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) separately demanded an explanation for recent INEC postings, which it says show a pattern of ethnic bias.
INEC has fixed January 16, 2027 for the presidential and National Assembly elections and February 6, 2027 for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls.
Ballot contracts
In a statement issued on Sunday through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company linked to it, has won a contract to print sensitive election materials.
He said information available to him suggested that more than half of INEC’s sensitive materials, including presidential ballot materials, may have gone to a company believed to be based in France, whose identity and credentials have not been made public. He also cited reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMC) may print for only 15 to 17 states, leaving private firms to handle the rest.
Atiku asked INEC to publish the names of all contractors, the materials and states assigned to each, how they were chosen, their security clearances and the safeguards for production, storage and delivery. He said Nigerians should not have to rely on unnamed sources to learn who is printing their ballots.
The Hitech question
Atiku cited publicly reported business ties between the Chagoury family, which owns Hitech, and the Tinubu family. He said INEC’s integrity would be seriously compromised if Hitech or an associated company were given such a contract. The statement offers no evidence that Hitech has won one. It asks INEC to say whether it has.
He called for greater use of domestic security-printing capacity and for a transparent chain of custody covering every ballot paper and result sheet. He also asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to disclose its arrangements for printing higher-denomination banknotes abroad, and to explain the roles of NSPMC and any foreign contractors.
Personnel changes at INEC
Atiku also questioned reported changes in the departments that run election administration and technology, including moves in Electoral Operations, the Voter Registry and Information and Communication Technology. He asked INEC to explain the changes, publish its criteria and show that each decision followed due process and was free of political interference.
He cautioned against assuming any official is compromised because of ethnicity, background or personal ties, saying INEC should settle legitimate concerns with verifiable disclosure.
ADC alleges a pattern
In a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that officers from some northern states in Electoral Operations and ICT had been moved elsewhere and replaced by officials from Lagos and other South-West states. The party said it had received intelligence and direct complaints and had noticed a pattern along ethnic lines.
The statement did not name the affected officers or offer documents to support the claim. The ADC said it was not yet accusing INEC of bad motives, but insisted such changes should not be dismissed as routine. It said the arrangement could fuel suspicion that the process is being tilted towards President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party urged INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, to publish the postings, the selection criteria and the reasons. It warned that leaving the allegations without a serious, evidence-based answer could harm the credibility of the elections.
What is still unanswered
Neither INEC nor the Presidency has responded to the claims in the statements. The commission has not said who is printing the materials.
Source note. This report draws on PUNCH reporting of October 12, 2026.
