ADC accuses serving DSS director of holding senior role in APC campaign council

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC‑PCC) has publicly alleged that a serving director of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) is simultaneously occupying the post of Deputy Director of Security and Intelligence within the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. The claim was aired on Wednesday during a segment of the Sunrise programme on Channels Television, where ADC‑PCC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, outlined the accusations.

Ologbondiyan urged the DSS Director‑General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to launch an inquiry into the matter, asserting that the alleged dual role breaches the expected political neutrality of security personnel. He stressed that while DSS officers are tasked with monitoring political events and safeguarding candidates, they should not become members of political campaign structures.

Background

The Department of State Services is Nigeria’s primary internal security agency, tasked with intelligence gathering, counter‑terrorism, and the protection of senior officials. Its Director‑General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, oversees the agency’s operations and is responsible for maintaining its non‑partisan stance. The All Progressives Congress, currently the ruling party, is conducting its presidential campaign under a council that includes a Deputy Director of Security and Intelligence, a position the ADC alleges is being filled by a serving DSS director.

The ADC‑PCC, representing the opposition African Democratic Congress, has previously highlighted concerns about the involvement of security agencies in political processes, arguing that such involvement could erode public confidence in the impartiality of state institutions. The claim was made without naming the individual DSS officer, but it references a senior role within the APC campaign hierarchy.

Why it matters

If the allegation proves accurate, it could suggest a breach of the principle that security agencies remain apolitical, potentially influencing the conduct of the upcoming presidential election. The ADC argues that a serving DSS officer’s participation in a campaign council could expose the individual to partisan pressure and compromise the agency’s ability to act independently. This raises broader concerns about the integrity of electoral security arrangements and the fairness of the electoral playing field.

The issue also touches on the legal framework governing civil service conduct in Nigeria, which generally prohibits active civil servants from holding partisan positions. Any confirmed breach could lead to disciplinary action against the officer and prompt a review of the DSS’s internal oversight mechanisms.

What happens next

The ADC has called on DSS Director‑General Oluwatosin Ajayi to investigate the allegation and determine whether any serving officer is engaged in partisan political activities, specifically within the APC campaign council. No official response from the DSS or the APC has been reported at the time of writing. The outcome of any investigation, if undertaken, could shape public perception of the DSS’s neutrality ahead of the presidential election.