• As Odinkalu queries reported appointment of showunmi’s wife to head INEC electoral operations

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will add Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of Accord Party to the final list of candidates for the 2027 presidential election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced this on Thursday in Abuja at an event organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

Amupitan said the Commission will comply with the Federal High Court judgment on Hashim’s candidacy, confirming the presidential field has now grown to 19.

The addition follows the October 5, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ordered Accord Party to recognise Hashim as its presidential candidate and forward his name to INEC.

That judgment ended months of internal tussle over the party’s ticket.

Amupitan said INEC will reflect the court order in its official records, moving the number of presidential candidates from the 18 published in September to 19.

Speaking on preparations for the general election, the INEC Chairman described the 2027 polls as potentially Africa’s largest democratic exercise and one of the most complex logistical operations in the world.

He cited over 103 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units and 774 local government areas, noting the scale covers presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

The Commission is expected to publish an updated final list to formally include Hashim in line with the court directive.

Meanwhile, Human rights lawyer, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has questioned the reported appointment of Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi, wife of political figure Segun Showunmi, to head the Electoral Operations Department of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Odinkalu raised the issue on October 18 in response to a Leadership report on concerns raised by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, over recent redeployments in the commission.

“Oh, so @SegunShowunmi’s wife is now in charge of electoral operations in @inecnigeria? It is becoming clearer…!” he wrote on X.

He did not elaborate on what the appointment reveals, but his comment has drawn attention to the political connections around a senior posting at INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Adeyemi-Showunmi’s husband is a prominent political commentator and former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2019 presidential campaign. He has since publicly expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The connection has prompted questions about the appointment, although neither the marriage nor Showunmi’s political stance establishes that his wife is compromised or that INEC intends to favour any candidate.

The issue, observers note, is whether INEC can explain the decision, show it was based on professional considerations and demonstrate how it insulates its officials from personal or political interests.

According to reports, Adeyemi-Showunmi was moved from her previous role as Administrative Secretary of INEC’s Lagos office to head Electoral Operations at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Isah Magaji Gummi, who previously headed the department, was reportedly redeployed to Voter Registry.

Electoral Operations handles critical aspects of election preparation, including planning and distribution of election materials, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, polling arrangements and coordination involving collation and returning officers.

While the director of the department cannot independently determine an election result, the position carries substantial operational responsibility, making the rationale for the changes a legitimate matter of public scrutiny.