By Myke Uzendu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify allegations that some of its recent staff postings and redeployments may have been ethnically motivated and favoured officials from the South-West.
The opposition party said it had received intelligence and direct complaints concerning personnel changes in some strategic departments and stations of the electoral commission, raising concerns about possible regional bias ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that several officers from northern Nigeria who had served in departments such as Electoral Operations and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) were being transferred to other departments.
The party claimed that some of the affected officers had been replaced by personnel from Lagos and other South-West states.
“We have specific names of officers moved from Electoral Operations and ICT in a number of northern states and replaced with officers from Lagos and other South-West states. INEC may dismiss this as routine. But we have noticed a pattern, especially along ethnic lines, and we are concerned,” the statement said.
The ADC stressed that it was not yet accusing INEC of pursuing any improper agenda but maintained that allegations capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral body required serious attention.
It warned that any perception of sectional bias in the deployment of officials to sensitive electoral departments could raise questions about the neutrality of the commission and the credibility of the electoral process.
“Regardless of the Commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters,” the party said.
The ADC further cautioned against concentrating strategic operational appointments in ways that could create the impression of ethnic or regional favouritism, particularly where such perceptions might suggest an advantage for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
