Former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately stalling the registration of new political platforms to weaken opposition efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, July 3, Amaechi, who is now a prominent figure in the emerging opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC) claimed INEC is frustrating the coalition’s push to form a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Every member of the opposition who belongs to the coalition is a member of the ADC. Are we stopping at that? The answer is no,” he said. “I head a committee with the mandate of the coalition to pursue the registration of the ADA (All Democratic Alliance).”
According to the former Minister of Transport, the coalition initially aimed to contest under the ADA, but delays by INEC forced them to align with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for now.
“The political space is closed for the benefit of the APC. I come to say that the INEC chairman is not ashamed,” Amaechi stated.
He alleged that INEC has stalled the registration of ADA over minor technicalities, such as office addresses and party officials, while other applications have been ignored entirely.
“Some of them, their rents have expired. So, the chairman of INEC is deliberately doing that so that there will be nobody fighting the APC,” he said. “And they’re not even ashamed that after (Maurice) Iwu, they organised the worst election; I would be ashamed.”
READ ALSO: Amaechi Dumps APC, Alleges Plot to Rig 2027 Elections with INEC
Despite the obstacles, Amaechi said the ADC-led coalition is determined to mobilise Nigerians to defend their votes in 2027.
“What ADC will do — and I said that all of us would do that — is to mobilise Nigerians to rise, to vote, and to stop these people from rigging, including the INEC,” he said.
“Those who constitute this rigging machine are not up to 10, in fact, two per cent of the population, the rest 98 per cent must get up and stop them, because if not, you’ll start crying again.”
Earlier in the week, the ADC was formally adopted as the opposition coalition’s platform, with David Mark named interim national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as interim secretary. Other key figures in the coalition include Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir el-Rufai.
Mark, while speaking at the coalition’s unveiling, said, “Let it be known to all that this coalition of national political opposition groups goes beyond gaining political power.
“It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy. The mission is clear: Rescue Nigeria. Rebuild Nigeria. Return power to the people.”
President Bola Tinubu, during a recent visit to Nasarawa State, dismissed the coalition as a gathering of “politically displaced persons,” while the APC has insisted the alliance will not succeed.