A Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mrs. Abosede Rahila Adamu, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the forthcoming by-elections in Kaduna state are free, fair, and credible.

She urged the electoral umpire to allow the final results of the by-elections to reflect the will of the people of Kaduna state, adding that INEC should ensure that the rights of every stakeholder are protected, and not just those of the few in government.

Rahila Adamu stated this in a statement released to the media on Sunday in Kaduna state.

According to the chieftain, INEC’s assurance regarding conducting credible elections into Chikun/Kajuru and Zaria Kewaye/Zaria Sabon Gari Federal Constituencies should go beyond a lip service, as has always been the practice over the years.

She said globally, people are interested in the conduct and the outcome of the by-elections in Kaduna state, hence the need for INEC to conduct its activities regarding the elections fairly and credibly in the interest of Nigeria’s and Kaduna state’s reputation.

“Unfortunately, the transition to civilian rule has not delivered a democratically accountable government for Nigerians. Nigeria has not held a free and fair general election since the end of military rule. Though that is contestable, it is not far from the truth that the people’s will is always being short-changed,” Rahila Adamu emphasized.

She added that INEC should allow leadership to evolve from the people, saying that leaders who came to power through a fraudulent process have generally not realized the hopes of Nigerians for socio-economic advancement and better governance.

“The concept of leadership evolving from the people reflects a shift towards more collaborative, inclusive, and people-oriented styles of leadership that bring about good governance, and this is the dream of the people,” Rahila Adamu said.

The chieftain therefore called on the people of Chikun/Kajuru and Zaria Kewaye/Zaria Sabon Gari Federal Constituencies to give their massive support and vote for ADC as their party of choice in the coming by-elections scheduled for Friday, August 16, 2025.

Rahila Adamu also urged the members to be vigilant and diligently monitor the election process from beginning to end, and not to allow any form of manipulation to take place either at the polling units or at the collation centres.

In the statement, she enjoined the security agencies to be neutral, stressing that their work is to prevent any form of security breach, and not to involve themselves in any form of human rights abuse.