BY AHMED AKANBI
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has faulted President Bola Tinubu for defending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on a national television programme monitored in Abuja at the weekend, Okonkwo said it was troubling for a sitting president to speak for the electoral body.
“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 has outstanding issues to address, especially concerns around the conduct of 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,” he stated.
“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,” Okonkwo added.
He said the ADC is urging INEC to be truly neutral, stressing that “as of today, it is not.”
Okonkwo, who also speaks for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential bid, criticised the Tinubu administration’s performance in security and governance, warning that the government’s record could affect the President’s chances of returning for a second term.
He further advised the President against seeking another mandate, saying: “Tinubu should not even allow the election to hold; he should resign and go in peace.“
Okonkwo also reacted to the recent Court of Appeal judgment that overturned an earlier order directing INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties, noting that the ADC had successfully fought off attempts to eliminate it through the courts and remains focused on offering Nigerians a credible alternative ahead of 2027.