Data Neutrality Concern: CITAD Urges NIMC Boss to Exit APC Campaign Role

A prominent civil society organization, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has called for the immediate resignation of Dr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), from her alleged involvement with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. CITAD issued a stern warning, stating that holding both positions simultaneously could severely compromise public trust in the political impartiality of Nigeria's national identity database.

This demand comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently lifted restrictions on presidential campaign activities, signaling the start of preparations for the 2027 general elections. In an official statement signed by its Executive Director, Yunusa Ya’u, and distributed to journalists, CITAD voiced "serious concern" over reports of Dr. Coker-Odusote's alleged appointment as the Director of Data Management within the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the upcoming 2027 polls.

CITAD emphasized the highly sensitive nature of NIMC, a crucial national institution tasked with establishing, owning, operating, maintaining, and managing Nigeria’s National Identity Database, which holds the personal and biometric data of millions of citizens. The integrity of this extensive database, according to the centre, is non-negotiable. "The integrity, confidentiality and political neutrality of this infrastructure are therefore matters of national security and public trust," Ya’u affirmed.

The group contended that the simultaneous occupancy of these two roles creates a significant potential for a conflict of interest. "CITAD is concerned that the simultaneous roles… create a serious conflict of interest and an appearance of compromised neutrality," the statement highlighted. With political campaigns now underway, CITAD observed that data would become increasingly central to various political activities. "As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, political parties will increasingly rely on personal data for voter engagement, political profiling, digital targeting and campaign communication," CITAD pointed out, underscoring why the two roles should not be combined. "The person responsible for managing data for one political party should not, at the same time, head an institution entrusted with the sensitive identity data of all Nigerians," the organization added.

Clarifying its position, Ya’u stated, "We are not alleging that NIMC data has been transferred to the APC or that Dr Coker-Odusote has misused citizens’ information." He further explained, "Our concern is about the institutional conflict, perception of partisan influence and erosion of public confidence that this arrangement creates." CITAD questioned whether the alleged dual role could truly allow the head of Nigeria’s national identity institution to maintain "unquestionable public confidence in the political neutrality of NIMC" while serving as a senior data official for a partisan presidential campaign. Consequently, the group declared, "CITAD believes that this situation is untenable."

The basis for CITAD's demand stems from established public service rules, which mandate that public institutions remain impartial and separate from partisan political activities. Therefore, CITAD explicitly called on "Dr Bisoye Coker-Odusote to immediately resign from her position in the APC Presidential Campaign Council." As an alternative, the statement suggested, "If she chooses to retain the partisan campaign position, she should relinquish her position as Director-General of NIMC."

Beyond individual action, CITAD also urged the Federal Government and relevant oversight bodies to ensure that NIMC’s databases, systems, and personnel are not utilized for partisan political ends. It called on authorities to "establish clear safeguards separating NIMC’s statutory responsibilities from political campaign activities." The centre further demanded robust protection against the political profiling, exploitation, or unauthorized use of Nigerians’ personal data and appealed to "all political parties and candidates" to commit to the responsible, lawful, and transparent use of personal data during the 2027 elections.

CITAD confirmed it would continue to monitor this issue through its PAWSOM-Monitor initiative. Ya’u stated, "As the country moves towards 2027, CITAD will continue to monitor developments that could undermine citizens’ digital rights or create an uneven digital playing field for political actors." The group noted that this initiative was previously piloted during the Osun State governorship election and reiterated that "the conflict of interest presented by the dual roles of Dr Bisoye sits at the centre of our election observation."