The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to explain reported staff redeployments involving key departments of the commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The association warned that the changes could raise questions about INEC’s neutrality and weaken public confidence in the electoral process if the commission failed to provide clear and verifiable explanations.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA questioned the reported appointment of Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi to head the Electoral Operations Department.
The group cited reports that her husband, Otunba Segun Showunmi, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, had publicly expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
However, HURIWA clarified that it was not accusing Adeyemi-Showunmi of bias because of her husband’s political affiliations. Instead, it said INEC should address potential perceptions of conflicts of interest to protect the credibility of its internal processes.
The association also sought clarification on the reported redeployment of Isah Magaji Gummi, the former Director of Electoral Operations, to the Voter Registry Department.
It further raised questions about reports that Dr Lawrence Bayode was heading INEC’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, insisting that appointments to sensitive positions required transparency and clear explanations.
HURIWA urged Amupitan to explain the reasons for Gummi’s redeployment, disclose the criteria used in assigning Adeyemi-Showunmi to Electoral Operations and outline safeguards against political considerations influencing appointments.
According to the association, the Electoral Operations Department oversees critical activities, including the distribution of election materials, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, polling arrangements and the supervision of collation processes.
It noted that the ICT Department also plays a significant role in election administration, making transparency in the leadership of both departments essential to maintaining public trust.
HURIWA warned that unanswered questions about the reported changes could fuel suspicions of political interference, stressing that competence, due process and institutional independence should guide decisions within the commission.
The association called on INEC to clarify the safeguards protecting sensitive election materials, polling operations and technology-driven electoral processes from undue political influence before political activities intensify.
It also expressed support for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s call for the commission to explain the reported redeployments and disclose arrangements for the production, printing and custody of sensitive election materials.
Atiku had urged INEC to make public the criteria guiding appointments and redeployments, arguing that such decisions should be based on merit and due process rather than political considerations.
He also cautioned against assuming that any electoral official was compromised solely because of ethnicity, regional background or personal associations.
HURIWA said legitimate questions about institutional neutrality should be distinguished from unproven allegations of electoral manipulation, adding that concerns about possible interference must be addressed through verifiable evidence.
The group urged opposition parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to pursue demands for transparency through lawful and democratic channels.
It further called on Amupitan to demonstrate that INEC operates independently of the Presidency, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political interests.
The association maintained that demands for accountability should not be treated as attacks on the commission’s leadership, arguing that timely explanations would help prevent avoidable controversy ahead of the 2027 elections.
It said INEC’s decisions and actions must demonstrate impartiality and reassure Nigerians that the commission’s preparations for the next general elections are guided by established procedures rather than political interests.
The reported redeployments and concerns raised by HURIWA were not independently verified in the statement.
