ADC demands probe of INEC, Lagos CP over pro-Tinubu activities

Nigeria's opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has voiced strong concerns over the alleged erosion of neutrality in key democratic institutions, accusing the government of President Bola Tinubu of drawing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force into partisan politics. The party warns this trend could jeopardize the integrity of the upcoming 2027 general elections.

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There are no longer any discernible boundaries between the Nigerian state and the ruling APC. Political actors are openly infiltrating state institutions, while heads of security units who should statutorily maintain neutrality are shamelessly turning into political cheerleaders of the ruling party and the President.

The ADC specifically pointed to reports suggesting that a faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), allegedly linked to a prominent political figure, might be contracted by INEC for election logistics. Furthermore, the party condemned the reported presence of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police at the launch of a pro-Tinubu movement, viewing it as a clear breach of expected political impartiality.

"There are no longer any discernible boundaries between the Nigerian state and the ruling APC," stated ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi. He argued that political actors are openly infiltrating state institutions, while heads of security agencies are acting as "political cheerleaders" for the ruling party. The ADC believes that involving partisan individuals in handling sensitive electoral materials, if true, would cast a "long shadow of doubt" on the credibility of elections.

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INEC’s credibility depends not only on conducting free and fair elections but also on inspiring confidence among all political stakeholders. Any logistics arrangement that potentially undermines the integrity of the electoral process because of the involvement of partisan individuals in handling sensitive materials would cast a long shadow of doubt on the credibility of the elections.

The party also referenced President Tinubu's recent remark, "all is fair in war," suggesting it has heightened anxieties about the conduct of future polls. The ADC stressed that security agencies, including the police, must not only remain impartial but also be seen to be impartial, as they belong to all Nigerians, not a specific political party.

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The Nigeria Police Force belongs to the Nigerian people, not to any political party. Senior police officers must not only remain impartial, they must also be seen to be impartial.