A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over his defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting the electoral body has not earned Nigerians’ trust.
Okonkwo said the Commission still has unresolved credibility issues and should be allowed to defend itself instead of having the President speak on its behalf.
He made the remarks on Friday in an interview days after President Tinubu dismissed concerns over INEC’s neutrality.
The President had, on Tuesday, while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria led by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House in Abuja, maintained that INEC remained independent. He also described those questioning the Commission’s credibility as people who were “afraid of their own shadows.”
Reacting, Okonkwo said it was inappropriate for the President to act as the electoral body’s defender.
“It is very sad. Any country that has a president who has morphed into the chief spokesperson of INEC is in trouble,” he said.
The ADC chieftain argued that INEC still owed Nigerians explanations over the controversies that surrounded the 2023 general election.
“You can imagine President Tinubu telling the whole world that INEC is neutral. The same Tinubu who, during the 2015 campaign, said they would form a parallel government if INEC rigged the election.
“The same people who were once critical of INEC are now saying INEC is neutral. An INEC that recorded a technical glitch in 2023 and has not satisfactorily explained it to Nigerians cannot simply be declared neutral. We are urging INEC to be neutral; as of today, it is not,” he said.
Okonkwo, who also serves as spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential bid, further criticised the Tinubu administration, arguing that its handling of security and governance could undermine the President’s chances of securing a second term.
He advised Tinubu not to seek re-election.
“Tinubu should not even allow the election to hold; he should resign and go in peace,” he said.
Commenting on the recent Court of Appeal judgment that overturned an earlier ruling directing INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties, Okonkwo said the Party had successfully resisted attempts to eliminate it through the courts.
“I had boasted that ADC does not have any legal challenge because we know the only challenge it has is the APC trying to use some instruments in the judiciary to litigate us out of existence. We resisted them, and they are failing and falling like a pack of cards,” he said.
He also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to weaken opposition parties and frustrate democratic competition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Okonkwo described the APC as “a scourge” on Nigeria’s democracy, alleging that the Party was deploying different strategies to limit opposition activities and reduce their ability to organise before the next polls.