Our Reporter, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed suggestions that Saturday’s bye-elections across 13 states and 16 constituencies reflect the strength of the opposition coalition, insisting instead that the exercise exposed the deep flaws in Nigeria’s electoral process under President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that the polls were marred by violence, vote buying, ballot manipulation, and widespread administrative lapses.
Abdullahi stressed that the party did not present candidates in most of the contested constituencies, adding that the flawed process should not be mistaken as a measure of opposition capacity.
“What Nigerians witnessed in yesterday’s bye-elections is yet another reminder that under the current administration, democracy itself, just like the economy and our national security, continues to decline under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC,” the statement read.
The ADC cited cases of armed thugs arrested on election day, incidents of ballot box snatching, intimidation of voters, and brazen inducement of electoral officials as evidence of the scale of malpractice. In one state, a vote-buyer was reportedly caught with ₦25.9 million meant for bribery, while in others, whole polling units were cancelled due to violence and irregularities.
The party also faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the repeated failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), questioning the competence and sincerity of the commission.
Warning that the bye-elections were a “dress rehearsal” for the 2027 polls, the ADC urged President Tinubu to rise above partisan interests and ensure credible elections in the country.
“The President must recognise that no government can claim legitimacy if it consistently presides over elections that citizens and the international community perceive as fraudulent,” Abdullahi stated.
