HEADLINE: Atiku Calls on INEC to Disclose 2027 Ballot Printing Contracts and Explain Key Staff Changes

 By Simpson Global Media News Desk

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disclose the companies handling the production of sensitive materials for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, raising questions about procurement transparency, election security and recent personnel changes within the commission.

Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, made the demands in a statement issued through his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on behalf of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

The statement, reported by several Nigerian news organisations on October 11 and 12, urged INEC to identify the contractors responsible for printing ballot papers and other sensitive election documents, explain how the contracts were awarded and provide information about the safeguards governing production, storage and delivery.

The former vice-president also requested clarification about reported redeployments involving officials in departments responsible for electoral operations, voter registration and information technology.

The demands come as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections, placing renewed attention on the electoral commission’s responsibility to protect sensitive materials and maintain public confidence in the voting process.

Atiku’s statements raise questions that INEC can address through verifiable information. However, the claims about the identity and allocation of printing contractors remain allegations and reports cited by the ADC; they should not be treated as established facts unless independently confirmed by the commission or supported by published procurement records.

Reports: The Guardian and The Sun.

Demand for Names of Election-Material Contractors

A central issue in Atiku’s statement is the identity of the companies responsible for producing sensitive election materials.

These materials include ballot papers and result sheets, whose production and handling require strict security procedures. Depending on the election and the commission’s operational arrangements, other documents and materials used in the voting and collation process may also require controlled production, storage and distribution.

Atiku asked INEC to publish the names of all companies engaged for the work, the materials assigned to each contractor, the states covered by their assignments and the procurement procedures used to select them.

He also called for disclosure of relevant security clearances and arrangements intended to prevent unauthorised access, substitution, loss or tampering.

The ADC campaign council said Nigerians should not have to rely on unnamed sources to discover which companies are producing election materials.

The request places emphasis on the distinction between transparency and the disclosure of operationally sensitive information. Publishing contractor identities, procurement methods and contract scopes can help the public understand how public resources are being used. At the same time, details that could expose security vulnerabilities may require appropriate protection.

The challenge for the commission is to provide meaningful public information while preserving the security of election materials.

As of the reports cited in this article, Atiku was seeking confirmation or denial of the claims. The reports reviewed for this story did not establish that INEC had publicly confirmed the alleged allocation of contracts to any particular company in response to his demand.

Questions About Hitech and Private Printing Companies

Atiku specifically asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech, or a company associated with it, had received a contract to print sensitive materials for the 2027 elections.

His statement also referred to reports suggesting that a substantial portion of the materials, including presidential ballot materials, might have been assigned to a company whose identity had not been publicly disclosed and which was believed to be based in France.

He further questioned reports that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc (NSPMC), the country’s state-owned security-printing company, might be handling election-material printing for only between 15 and 17 states, with private firms responsible for work in other states.

These claims have not been independently established by the information cited in the reports. They should therefore be understood as matters Atiku and the ADC want INEC to clarify, rather than confirmed descriptions of the commission’s contractual arrangements.

The distinction is important because printing sensitive election materials involves procurement, technical capacity, security standards, deadlines and logistics. The use of a public or private contractor does not, on its own, establish whether a process is lawful or unlawful. Relevant questions include whether the contractor was properly selected, whether it meets the required technical and security standards, and whether the production and distribution process can be audited.

A comprehensive response from INEC could clarify which firms have been engaged, the scope of their assignments, the applicable procurement process and how the commission intends to maintain control over the materials throughout production and delivery.

Why Ballot Production Is a Public-Interest Issue

Election materials are a critical part of the voting process. Their production and distribution must be organised so that the correct materials reach the correct locations, quantities can be reconciled and access is controlled.

Ballot papers and result sheets are especially sensitive because they form part of the physical record of an election. Weak controls could create opportunities for loss, unauthorised access or disputes over whether materials were properly issued and accounted for.

A credible chain of custody helps establish who handled the materials, when they were transferred and where they were stored. Clear records can also support investigations if discrepancies are identified.

For the public, transparency about the procurement process can help explain how INEC manages the risks associated with producing and transporting election documents across a large country.

Political parties, election observers and civil society organisations may reasonably seek information about the institutions and procedures responsible for safeguarding the process. Their scrutiny, however, should be based on verifiable documents and official explanations rather than unconfirmed claims.

The commission must also balance openness with operational security. Publishing the identities of contractors and the general structure of procurement arrangements is different from revealing information that could enable someone to compromise a facility, delivery route or security procedure.

The central question is whether the available disclosures are sufficient to demonstrate that the process is properly managed and subject to effective oversight.

Atiku Questions Personnel Redeployments at INEC

Beyond procurement, Atiku called for explanations of reported personnel changes within departments responsible for important election operations.

Reports cited by the ADC indicated that Isa Magaji Gum had been moved from the Electoral Operations Department to the Voter Registry Department. Mrs Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi was reported to have been appointed to lead Electoral Operations, while Dr Lawrence Bayode was identified as head of the Information and Communication Technology department.

Atiku asked the commission to explain the reasons for the changes and disclose the criteria used in making the appointments and redeployments.

He argued that the public should be able to understand whether such decisions followed established procedures and were based on relevant professional considerations.

The personnel questions are politically sensitive because electoral operations, voter registration and information technology all contribute to the administration of elections. Their responsibilities can include planning logistics, maintaining voter information systems and supporting the technology used in electoral processes.

However, a staff redeployment or appointment does not by itself prove political interference. To evaluate the concerns, the relevant evidence would include the commission’s applicable rules, the reasons for the changes, the officials’ responsibilities and whether established procedures were followed.

INEC’s explanation would help distinguish routine administrative decisions from any substantiated concerns about procedure or impartiality.

Atiku’s demands are the position of an opposition presidential candidate and the ADC campaign council. They are not, by themselves, proof that the commission’s decisions were politically motivated.

The Role of INEC in Protecting Electoral Confidence

INEC is responsible for organising federal and state elections in accordance with Nigeria’s constitutional and electoral framework. Its duties include managing electoral preparations, registering voters, coordinating election logistics and announcing official results through established procedures.

Public confidence in the commission depends partly on the conduct of election officials and partly on whether the public can understand and scrutinise the processes used to administer elections.

Confidence can be affected when significant decisions remain unexplained, especially if political parties believe they have not received enough information to assess the arrangements.

That does not mean every allegation against the commission is correct. It means that documented concerns should be addressed with evidence wherever possible.

An official response identifying the contractors and explaining the applicable procedures would allow parties and the public to examine the claims against verifiable information. If some information cannot safely be released, INEC could explain the legal or operational basis for withholding it while still providing the broad facts necessary for public accountability.

Similarly, an explanation of personnel changes could set out the administrative basis for the decisions without disclosing confidential staff information that is not relevant to public scrutiny.

Such responses would help move the discussion from speculation to evidence.

Procurement Transparency and Security Must Work Together

Public procurement requires procedures that establish how contractors are selected, what they are required to deliver and how compliance is monitored.

For sensitive election materials, the process also needs technical controls and security arrangements appropriate to the risks involved.

Relevant safeguards may include verification of contractors’ capabilities, access controls at production facilities, secure storage, documented handovers, reconciliation of quantities and procedures for identifying and investigating discrepancies.

Contract documentation can also clarify the responsibilities of INEC and its suppliers. If a contractor fails to meet a requirement, the contract and relevant procurement rules should provide a basis for determining the appropriate response.

Transparency can support oversight by making it possible to examine whether the selection process followed applicable rules and whether public money was used for the intended purpose.

However, disclosure alone does not guarantee a secure election. A publicly identified contractor must still comply with technical and security requirements, and the commission must ensure that materials are handled correctly throughout the process.

Equally, secrecy is not a substitute for accountability. Where information can safely be made public, clear disclosure can help reduce uncertainty and provide a basis for independent scrutiny.

The policy challenge is to maintain both effective security and meaningful transparency.

The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc Question

Atiku’s statement also raised questions about the role of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc in producing election materials.

The state-owned company is associated with security printing, an area that requires specialised facilities and strict controls. The question raised by the ADC is whether the company’s reported share of election-material production is consistent with the available domestic capacity and the commission’s procurement decisions.

The reports cited in this article did not independently establish the exact number of states assigned to the NSPMC or confirm the full division of work between public and private printers.

To clarify the matter, INEC could publish a summary of the relevant contract allocations, explaining which categories of materials are being produced by each contractor and the basis for the distribution of assignments.

If the NSPMC is handling only a portion of the work, information about the technical requirements, capacity considerations and procurement procedures would help explain the arrangement.

Atiku also called for greater use of qualified domestic security-printing capacity. That is a policy position about the role of local industry; it does not establish that a domestic provider can automatically meet every requirement or that foreign participation is necessarily improper.

A fair assessment would consider capacity, cost, quality, security, delivery schedules and the applicable procurement framework.

The commission’s records and explanations would be needed to determine how those considerations shaped its decisions.

The Broader Question of Local Capacity

The debate also touches on Nigeria’s capacity to produce sensitive materials domestically.

Supporters of using qualified local providers may point to the potential benefits of retaining specialised work within the country, building technical expertise and reducing dependence on external suppliers.

At the same time, procurement decisions must account for whether a provider has the facilities, personnel, equipment and capacity to meet the required specifications and deadlines.

Security printing is not simply an ordinary commercial printing task. It involves controls over design, production, access, storage and delivery, with procedures that must be adapted to the particular materials being produced.

A sound procurement assessment would therefore need to establish whether each potential supplier can satisfy the commission’s technical and security requirements.

The public can benefit from knowing the broad criteria used in those assessments, even where particular security details must remain restricted.

If the commission has relied on a combination of public and private providers, explaining the basis for that approach could help clarify how it balances local capacity, operational needs and the protection of election materials.

What INEC Could Clarify

Atiku’s demands identify several specific questions that could be addressed through an official statement or published procurement information.

First, the commission could confirm the companies engaged to produce sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections, subject to any lawful restrictions on disclosure.

Second, it could explain the categories of materials assigned to each provider and the general basis for allocating work across states or election categories.

Third, it could outline the procurement process used, including the relevant selection criteria and oversight arrangements.

Fourth, it could describe the main safeguards for production, storage, transport and delivery, without releasing operational details that could compromise security.

Fifth, INEC could clarify whether Hitech or any associated company has received an award for the production of sensitive election materials, directly addressing the allegation raised by Atiku.

Finally, the commission could explain the reported personnel changes, including the administrative reasons and applicable procedures.

These disclosures would not require the commission to endorse the ADC’s interpretation of events. They would provide a factual basis for assessing the claims.

The commission could also distinguish between confirmed decisions, reports that are inaccurate and issues that remain under review. Such clarity would help the public understand the status of each matter.

Why the Questions Matter Ahead of 2027

The 2027 elections will involve extensive preparation across Nigeria’s federal and state electoral systems. The organisation of sensitive materials is one component of that wider process, alongside voter registration, candidate nominations, election staffing, logistics, security and result management.

Questions about procurement and personnel arrangements are likely to attract public attention because they concern institutions responsible for administering the contest among political parties.

For INEC, the practical task is to demonstrate that its arrangements comply with the law and are supported by records that can withstand appropriate scrutiny.

For political parties, the responsibility is to raise concerns through lawful channels and distinguish verified information from allegations. Public debate can help identify questions requiring answers, but allegations should not be treated as proven findings before the relevant evidence is available.

For voters, the important issue is whether election preparations are being conducted under procedures that are clear, secure and accountable.

The debate over ballot printing is therefore not only about the identity of individual companies. It is also about how an electoral institution demonstrates that public resources and sensitive materials are being managed according to established rules.

No Confirmed Finding of Wrongdoing in the Claims Cited

The concerns raised by Atiku should be reported with a clear distinction between allegations and established facts.

The news reports cited here document his request for disclosure and the questions he raised about contractors and staff redeployments. They do not, on their own, establish that any company was improperly awarded a contract, that election materials have been compromised or that the reported personnel changes were made for political reasons.

No conclusion about wrongdoing can be drawn solely from the fact that an opposition candidate has demanded explanations.

The appropriate next step is to examine the commission’s response, relevant procurement documents and any other verifiable evidence that becomes available.

If INEC publishes details that confirm or contradict the claims, those details can be assessed against the original statements and the applicable rules.

That approach allows the public to scrutinise the electoral process without prematurely accepting unverified allegations as fact.

The Road Ahead

Atiku’s call has placed the production of sensitive election materials and reported personnel changes at INEC at the centre of a fresh debate over electoral transparency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He wants the commission to identify the companies responsible for printing ballot papers and other sensitive documents, explain the procurement process, describe the security arrangements and clarify reported changes in key departments.

The allegations about particular contractors and the distribution of printing assignments remain matters requiring confirmation. The personnel changes also need to be assessed through official explanations and relevant evidence rather than assumptions about political motives.

The commission’s response will be important in determining what can be established about the claims and whether additional information is needed to address the questions raised.

As election preparations continue, transparent communication, secure procedures and evidence-based scrutiny will remain central to public understanding of how the process is being organised.

For now, the immediate issue is whether INEC will provide the requested clarifications and what verifiable information those explanations will contain.

Sources:

• The Guardian — Atiku demands INEC disclosure on 2027 ballot contracts and appointments

• The Sun — Atiku, ADC demand INEC disclosure on sensitive materials and staff postings

• New Telegraph — Atiku, ADC ask INEC to reveal election printers and staff redeployments

• Independent National Electoral Commission

Simpson Global Media will continue to follow developments concerning INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections and report further verified information as it becomes available.