By Mustapha Salisu
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, to resign from her position in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
CITAD raised the concern following the appointment of Coker-Odusote as Director of Data Management in the APC Presidential Campaign Council, describing the simultaneous roles as a serious conflict of interest capable of undermining public confidence in the political neutrality of NIMC.
In a statement issued on Saturday, CITAD Executive Director, YZ Ya’u, said NIMC manages Nigeria’s National Identity Database containing the personal and biometric information of millions of Nigerians, making its integrity, confidentiality and political neutrality critical to national security and public trust.
The organisation said the position of managing data for a partisan political campaign should not be held by the person simultaneously heading the institution entrusted with the sensitive identity data of all Nigerians, particularly as political parties increasingly rely on personal data for voter engagement, political profiling and digital targeting.
CITAD, however, clarified that it was not alleging that NIMC data had been transferred to the APC or that the NIMC DG had misused citizens’ information, stressing that its concern was the institutional conflict, perception of partisan influence and potential erosion of public confidence created by the arrangement.
It questioned whether the head of Nigeria’s national identity institution could simultaneously serve as a senior data official of a partisan presidential campaign and still command unquestionable public confidence in NIMC’s neutrality.
The organisation therefore urged Coker-Odusote to immediately resign from the APC Presidential Campaign Council or relinquish her position as NIMC Director-General, saying the separation was necessary to protect the integrity of the commission, safeguard public confidence and uphold political neutrality in the management of Nigeria’s national identity infrastructure.
CITAD further called on the Federal Government and relevant oversight institutions to guarantee that NIMC databases, systems and personnel are not used for partisan political purposes; establish clear safeguards separating NIMC’s statutory responsibilities from political campaign activities; ensure strong protection against the political profiling, exploitation or unauthorised use of Nigerians’ personal data; and require all political parties and candidates to commit to responsible, lawful and transparent use of personal data during the 2027 elections.
The organisation said its PAWSOM-Monitor initiative would continue to track potential misuse of personal data for electoral purposes and monitor the extent to which political parties and candidates have unhindered access to national digital infrastructure before, during and immediately after the 2027 elections, stressing that the conflict of interest surrounding the NIMC DG’s dual roles would remain a key concern in its election observation.