2027 Elections: CSMN Asks INEC to Clarify Appointments, Tighten Personnel Verification
Our Correspondent
The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria, CSMN, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to strengthen transparency and personnel verification ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing concerns about appointments, ad hoc staff integrity and result collation.
In a press statement dated October 21, 2026, signed by its Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary, Bosun Emmanuel, the group said public confidence in elections is fundamental to democratic stability and must be protected by verifiable, transparent procedures.
CSMN said recent reports and documented concerns from previous elections underscore the need for preventive action before voting begins.
On senior appointments, the group referenced reports that Mrs. Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi, wife of political figure Mr. Segun Showunmi, has been redeployed to head INEC’s Electoral Operations Department.
According to CSMN, the report has raised questions about a potential conflict of interest.
CSMN said it does not presume wrongdoing in the appointment, but asked INEC to clarify the process that led to the redeployment, the professional criteria applied, and the safeguards in place to guarantee impartiality in a department central to electoral operations.
On ad-hoc personnel, CSMN cited concerns raised by former INEC National Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, about alleged infiltration of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, personnel lists by individuals who are not genuine corps members but could be deployed as election officials.
The group said such allegations, if true, would affect the credibility of elections, and called on INEC and the NYSC to jointly authenticate personnel lists, put in place robust identity verification before deployment, and apply sanctions where falsification or collusion is established.
On result collation, CSMN pointed to unresolved questions from the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State.
It referenced a BBC investigation which reported discrepancies between polling-unit tallies and announced results in Oyigbo and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, and raised questions about the identity and employment claims of an official, Dickson Ariaga, who announced results for Oyigbo.
According to CSMN, the BBC report quoted an INEC spokesperson as attributing recruitment challenges to shortages of time and personnel, with some identities reportedly not verified.
CSMN said while media reports are not substitutes for findings by competent investigative or judicial authorities, they highlight the need for stronger recruitment controls, authentication of result sheets and accountability for officials who announce results.
Against this background, CSMN proposed six measures for INEC to consider. These include publishing clear procedures for verifying all permanent and ad-hoc personnel, explaining criteria for sensitive appointments and redeployments to address perceived conflicts of interest, strengthening reconciliation between polling-unit results and collation records to detect discrepancies, investigating credible allegations of malpractice and publishing findings subject to due process and privacy requirements, improving public communication on safeguards and corrective actions, and creating safe channels for whistle-blowers to report interference or identity fraud.
The group called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, and the Commission’s leadership to see the concerns as an opportunity to build credibility well before the polls.
It also urged political parties, security agencies, civil society, the media and citizens to uphold electoral integrity and to report suspected irregularities through lawful channels with verifiable evidence.
“CSMN emphasizes that a credible election is a shared national responsibility, although INEC bears the constitutional responsibility for administering the process impartially and in accordance with the law,” the statement said, adding that Nigeria deserves an election whose credibility is established by transparent procedures, verifiable results and public confidence.
CSMN said it welcomes dialogue with INEC on practical measures to strengthen confidence, noting that the time to close electoral loopholes is before voting begins.
INEC had not issued a response to the specific concerns raised as of press time.
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