A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Showunmi, has angrily dismissed suggestions that his wife, Oluyemi Titilayo Adeyemi-Showunmi, was rewarded with a new appointment at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because of his political involvement with the ruling party.
Showunmi reacted during an exchange with a journalist who questioned whether his wife’s redeployment from her position as INEC Administrative Secretary in Lagos State to head Electoral Operations ahead of the 2027 presidential election was connected to his inclusion in the APC campaign council.
Visibly angered by the question, Showunmi described the suggestion as insulting and insisted that his wife had built her career in the electoral commission through years of dedicated service.
“I take exception to that nonsense. Don’t you dare say that about me. Reward who? Reward who? That’s a civil servant. She’s a Level 17 officer and has worked in INEC all of her life,” he declared.
Defending his wife’s professional record, Showunmi pointed to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in Lagos State, where Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi defeated the APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“She was Lagos State Admin Secretary. Didn’t Peter Obi win there in 2023?” he asked.
Showunmi argued that his wife’s long-standing career in INEC should not be subjected to political interpretations simply because of his affiliation with the APC.
His reaction comes amid questions surrounding the redeployment of his wife to a senior electoral operations position as preparations gradually gather momentum for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The APC chieftain maintained that his wife’s professional advancement should be viewed independently of his political activities, rejecting any suggestion that her new assignment was a reward for his involvement in the ruling party.
