INEC’s job is to publish names, not vet candidates — Adebayo

Adewale Adebayo, the presidential candidate for Nigeria's Social Democratic Party (SDP), has asserted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) functions solely as a publisher of candidate names, not as a verifier of their eligibility or credentials.

Speaking on the program "Sunday Politics," Adebayo emphasized INEC's role as a public institution tasked with receiving and making candidate information available to the electorate. "INEC is our servant. It’s working for the public," he stated, likening the commission to a post office. "Its role is to collect the information submitted by political parties and candidates and make it available to the electorate. It’s not INEC’s job to vet the information."

Adebayo stressed that the responsibility for scrutinizing candidates' claims and challenging any false declarations lies with the electorate and other stakeholders, who can pursue legal channels. He also addressed reports of internal party disputes, dismissing them as baseless and affirming that the SDP's nomination process was peaceful and transparent.

He highlighted that INEC published the names of his vice-presidential candidate, 109 senatorial candidates, and 360 House of Representatives candidates, characterizing the exercise as routine. Adebayo concluded by urging Nigerians to shift their focus from political maneuvering to pressing national issues such as poverty, insecurity, poor governance, and economic challenges as the 2027 general elections approach.

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INEC is our servant. It’s working for the public. INEC is just like the post office. Its role is to collect the information submitted by political parties and candidates and make it available to the electorate. It’s not INEC’s job to vet the information.