2027: INEC, neutrality and public confidence

Punch Nigeria · Punch Editorial Board · 2026-11-05 23:05 UTC

Recent INEC appointments by President Tinubu stir controversy, raising concerns about neutrality and eroding public confidence ahead of the 2027 elections.

IT is hardly surprising that fresh appointments involving the Independent National Electoral Commission and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections have stirred controversy. With public confidence in the electoral umpire already badly eroded, even appointments that may be administratively defensible can become a source of suspicion. In an election as consequential as the next one, perception is almost as important as procedure.

A former Administrative Secretary at INEC’s Lagos office, Oluyemi Adeyemi-Showunmi, was redeployed as Director of Electoral Operations, succeeding Isah Gummi, who was moved to the Voter Registry Department.

However, the discovery that Adeyemi-Showunmi is married to Segun Showunmi, a spokesman for the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, has provoked objections from opposition parties, civil society organisations and other Nigerians.

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