A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that the electoral body has yet to demonstrate the neutrality required to inspire public confidence ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Okonkwo accused the President of speaking on behalf of the electoral commission instead of addressing public concerns about its credibility.
“It is very sad. Any country that has a president who has morphed into the chief spokesperson of INEC is in trouble,” he said.
Okonkwo argued that INEC has not adequately addressed concerns arising from the 2023 general election, particularly issues surrounding the technical glitches experienced during the electoral process.
According to him, the commission must earn public trust through transparent actions rather than political endorsements.
“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 stated.
Okonkwo, who also serves as a spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 election, argued that the President’s record in office, particularly on governance and security, would make it difficult to secure a second term.
He urged President 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 decision directing INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties, Okonkwo said the opposition party had successfully resisted what he described as attempts to remove it through legal means.
“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.
Okonkwo also alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was attempting to weaken Nigeria’s democratic process by frustrating opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described the APC as “a scourge” on Nigeria’s democracy and claimed the party was using various tactics to hinder opposition mobilisation and political activities.
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His comments came days after President Tinubu, while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) led by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House in Abuja, defended INEC against allegations of bias.
The President maintained that the electoral commission remains neutral and suggested that its critics were merely “afraid of their own shadows.”
The remarks by Okonkwo reflect his personal and political views. INEC has consistently maintained that it is an independent institution committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections in accordance with the law.
