A spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo, has raised concerns over the redeployment of Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi as head of the Electoral Operations Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the move could undermine confidence in the 2027 general elections.
Okonkwo contended that the appointment presents a potential conflict of interest because Adeyemi-Showunmi is married to Segun Showunmi, a prominent supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign and deputy spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
Speaking on Arise News, the former Labour Party chieftain argued that placing Adeyemi-Showunmi in charge of a sensitive department responsible for election operations creates concerns about INEC’s perceived impartiality.
“Allowing the wife of Showunmi to be the electoral operations department officer is rigging the election before the time,” Okonkwo said.
He noted that the Electoral Operations Department plays a central role in managing elections, including the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, recruitment and training of ad hoc staff, coordination of polling activities, and oversight of collation processes and returning officers.
According to him, the issue is not whether bias would occur, but whether circumstances exist that could create a reasonable perception of bias among Nigerians.
“We are not talking about whether there will be bias. We are saying that anything that has the likelihood of bias is not allowed,” he stated.
Okonkwo maintained that public institutions must avoid situations capable of eroding trust in their neutrality, stressing that confidence in the electoral process is just as important as the process itself.
He added that his concerns were not necessarily directed at Adeyemi-Showunmi’s personal integrity, but at the broader implications of her redeployment for public perception of INEC ahead of the 2027 polls.
Responding to the controversy, Segun Showunmi denied suggestions that his wife’s appointment was politically motivated. He described her as a career electoral official who has spent her professional career within INEC and currently holds the rank of a Level 17 officer. The development has triggered debate over the electoral commission’s neutrality as political parties intensify preparations for the next general elections.
Okonkwo also expressed concerns about the integrity of the voter register, citing reports that some deceased persons may still be listed in the database and calling for greater scrutiny of INEC’s electoral records ahead of 2027.
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