Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disclose the companies contracted to produce sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, asked INEC to confirm or deny reports that Hitech or an affiliated company had secured a contract to print sensitive election materials.
He expressed concern that a foreign-based company might be handling more than half of the materials, while the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc was reportedly assigned printing jobs for only 15 to 17 states.
The former vice-president urged INEC to publish the names of the contractors, the materials and states assigned to them, procurement procedures and security measures for production and delivery.
He warned that failure to clarify the reports could undermine public confidence in the electoral process, particularly amid concerns over the commission’s independence.
Atiku also cited reported business ties between the Chagoury and Tinubu families, arguing that any contract awarded to Hitech or an associated company could raise questions about the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress has separately called on INEC to explain allegations of ethnic bias in recent staff postings and redeployments ahead of the 2027 elections.
