Ann.on cam: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed deep concern over the conduct of the by-elections held on Saturday, August 16th, across 13 states and 16 constituencies of the federation.
A statement by the national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that the exercise once again exposed how far Nigeria’s electoral process has deteriorated under President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Abdullahi said that the elections were riddled with widely reported violence, vote buying, manipulation, and other administrative lapses, stating that the party did not field candidates for most of the positions contested in the by-election.
The ADC spokesperson stated that with all its flaws and irregularities, the elections should not be seen as a measure of the strength or capacity of the Opposition Coalition, but rather as a sad reflection of how far the system has been corrupted against the will of the people.
Abdullahi also pointed out that In some states, polling units were cancelled due to ballot box snatching and the open intimidation of voters which can instill fears of assault on citizens to go out and vote thereby breaking the basic covenant between the state and its people.
ADC also expressed disappointment over the increase of vote-buying, INEC officials involved in electoral malpractices,and the failure of the Bimodal voter accreditation system, BVAS as it is fast becoming the political culture of electoral process under the ruling all progressives Congress, APC.
The opposition party’s spokesperson noted that the by-elections represent the clearest indication of a dress rehearsal for 2027 and if the electoral commission failed to work on the loopholes encountered, Nigeria may never get it right to conduct a credible exercise.
ADC therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to rise above his partisan interest and demonstrate genuine leadership by ensuring that Nigerians can cast their votes freely and safely, advising the President to recognize that no government can claim legitimacy if it consistently presides over elections that citizens and the international community perceive as fraudulent.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
