"There is a deliberate attempt by the ruling APC Party to exclude significant political opponents from the ballot box, utilising the capture of INEC and state institutions. INEC's rush to validate the Wike-faction during the PDP convention is evidence that it functions as a parastatal of the ruling APC party. If the people do not rise to take their country back, democracy will come to an end. The one thing the APC ruling party does not want to see is the people's votes, given the high misery index it has imposed"-Professor Pat Utomi. Renowned Political Economist. Video: Youtube.
Nigeria's Independent Electoral Commission-INEC's recent decision to delist Principal Officers of the opposition ADC Party in Nigeria from the INEC's portal, has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the 2027 Presidential and General elections in Nigeria. The opposition ADC party has accused the election management body of yielding to government manipulation to diminish the chances of opposition participation in the next elections. According to Channels TV; the party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the electoral body of yielding to political pressure. He alleged that INEC's position was influenced by a government unsettled by the ADC's growing influence, despite what he described as sustained efforts to weaken opposition parties and impose a one-party system. "We reject INEC's interpretation of the Court of Appeal ruling. We knew that INEC was being pressured by a government that has become jittery from the ADC's rising momentum, even in the face of its relentless assault on all opposition parties". He described INEC's statement as inconsistent, arguing that it contradicts both facts and logic. Similarly, Punch newspaper, reported that former Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, also criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission for seeking to undermine the integrity of elections in Nigeria by helping the ruling party to erase electoral competition. Reacting in a statement, Hayatu-Deen warned that Nigeria's democracy risks serious erosion if the integrity of the electoral process is undermined. He expressed deep concerns about what he described as 'shrinking democratic space, cautioning that measures capable of excluding legitimate political participation could erode public trust in elections. "When a commission charged with protecting participation instead restricts it, we must ask: in whose interest does it act?, referring specifically to INEC's recent move to revalidate the national voters register and its decision not to engage with or receive correspondence from the opposition ADC party led by David Mark. He warned that such actions carry serious consequences for democracy.
"Any action that potentially disenfranchises voters or prevents a political party from fielding candidates strikes at the core of democratic rights. Democracy is not merely a calendar of elections. It is a covenant, one that demands equal access, transparent rules, and the unshakable confidence of citizens that the process is fair". He cautioned that once public confidence is weakened, the damage extends far beyond a single election. "Once that confidence is undermined, the legitimacy of every outcome that follows is called into question. Nigeria cannot afford that erosion. Weaken the institutions, and you weaken the nation's capacity to heal itself". He warned that democratic decline often occurs quietly. "The gradual erosion of democratic norms is rarely dramatic. It announces itself in quiet exclusions and in institutions that bend just enough to serve power. But the consequences, when they fully arrive, are often devastating". He urged those in authority to act with restraint and fidelity to the rule of law, and urged Nigerians across political divides to remain vigilant. "The preservation of our democracy of our democracy is not the work of any single party or person, it is a shared responsibility". Incumbents fixation to erase electoral competition is a recipe for disaster, unfortunately this is a hard lesson to learn.
Uche Okeke.
