President Bola Tinubu has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC remains neutral ahead of the 2027 general elections, dismissing allegations of bias and urging political opponents to stop “crying wolf.”
The President made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, led by its President, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House in Abuja.
Responding to concerns over the conduct of future elections, President Tinubu insisted that INEC has not intimidated any political party and that every contestant would have a level playing field in 2027.
He said those raising allegations against the electoral body may simply be worried about their own political prospects.
Beyond the elections, the President assured Nigerians that his administration is making steady progress in addressing insecurity.
He said the ongoing expansion of the armed forces, improved intelligence gathering, acquisition of military hardware and better welfare for security personnel would strengthen the fight against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
President Tinubu also expressed confidence in the nation’s economic outlook, saying reforms introduced by his administration have stabilised the economy and placed Nigeria on the path to prosperity.
He urged citizens, particularly young people, to embrace education, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, while highlighting the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, as one of the government’s key interventions.
Earlier, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso, called for free, fair and credible elections in 2027, saying President Tinubu’s enduring legacy should be the strengthening of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The bishops also raised concerns over insecurity, poverty, access to quality education and the return of mission schools, while urging the government to ensure equal treatment of all religious groups across the country.
(Follow AIT News on WhatsApp, AfricaIndependentTV on YouTube, ait_online on Facebook and X (Formerly Twitter), and officialait on TikTok, Instagram and Threads)
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
