Former Youth and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of positioning itself as the primary opposition force against the African Democratic Congress.
The ADC chieftain made the allegation on Friday, April 24, while appearing on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme.
According to Dalung, INEC’s actions against his party coincided with a surge in membership registration.
“The worst of all, when we had INEC now declaring itself as the main opposition against the ADC, that was when we have the highest number of people joining the party,” he said.
He went further to describe INEC as Nigeria’s true opposition party due to what he called its disregard for legal boundaries.
“INEC is the opposition party in Nigeria, because INEC is the only institution that has failed to act within the confines of law,” Dalung stated.
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“It behaves with impunity and recklessness, because up to now, as I sit as a lawyer, I still cannot find expression of where INEC derive the power it exercises and without remorse. It is still acting as if it has the moral high grounds to do that.”
The former minister also pointed to what he described as INEC’s selective obedience to court orders, citing a case involving the Peoples Democratic Party.
“There was a court verdict against a ruling confirming suspension of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Samuel Anyanwu from the party. But today, INEC refused to obey that court order,” he said.
The accusation comes amid ongoing tensions between the ADC and INEC following the commission’s decision to withdraw recognition from the party’s leadership structure.
The ADC has repeatedly claimed that INEC is collaborating with the Tinubu government to block the party from presenting candidates in the 2027 general elections.
INEC, however, has defended its stance, saying its actions are based on judicial directives and the requirement to maintain the status quo while court cases concerning the party’s leadership continue.