Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain its recent staff postings and redeployments following allegations that officers from northern states are being moved out of strategic departments and replaced with officials from Lagos and other South-West states.
The opposition party said the alleged pattern of personnel changes had raised concerns about possible ethnic and regional bias in the management of sensitive electoral operations, warning that failure to address the allegations could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
In a press statement issued on October 11, 2026, the ADC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said it had received intelligence and direct complaints concerning personnel changes in some of INEC’s strategic departments and stations.
According to the party, several officers from northern states who had served in departments such as Electoral Operations and ICT were reportedly being transferred to other departments, with officers from Lagos and other South-West states allegedly taking their places.
The ADC said it had identified specific officers affected by the changes, adding that the reported pattern warranted an explanation from the electoral commission.
“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 party said.
Although the ADC said it was not yet accusing INEC of any “nefarious” plans, it maintained that allegations capable of casting doubt on the commission’s neutrality should not be dismissed as routine administrative decisions.
The party warned that any perception of sectional bias in the deployment of personnel to sensitive electoral positions could raise questions about the impartiality of election officials and the credibility of the commission.
“Regardless of the Commission’s motives, questions about regional concentration in sensitive departments cannot be brushed aside as routine administrative matters. And concentrating strategic operational appointments in a manner that suggests ethnic or sectional bias to give an advantage to President Tinubu and the APC must not be ignored,” the statement said.
The opposition party consequently urged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to publicly disclose the recent postings, the criteria used in selecting officers for the positions and the reasons behind the changes.
It said such disclosure would help reassure Nigerians across the country that the commission remained committed to fairness and that no citizen’s electoral choice would be undermined on the basis of language, ethnicity or regional origin.
The ADC further cautioned that leaving the allegations unanswered without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have far-reaching consequences for public trust in the electoral umpire.
“Allowing such allegations to go without a serious, evidence-based rebuttal could have serious implications for the integrity of the elections,” the party warned.
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