A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for defending the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that the electoral body has yet to earn the confidence of many Nigerians.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, on Friday, in response to Tinubu’s recent comments on the commission’s credibility.
The President had, during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, dismissed allegations of bias against the commission, maintaining that INEC remained independent and impartial.
Tinubu reportedly described critics of the commission as individuals who were “afraid of their own shadows.”
However, Okonkwo faulted the President’s intervention, arguing that the commission should be allowed to defend itself instead of relying on the Presidency.
“It is very sad. Any country that has a president who has morphed into the chief spokesperson of INEC is in trouble,” he said.
The former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson maintained that the controversies surrounding the 2023 general election had not been adequately addressed.
“You can imagine President Tinubu telling the whole world that INEC is neutral. The same Tinubu who, during the 2015 campaign, said they would form a parallel government if INEC rigged the election.
“The same people who were once critical of INEC are now saying INEC is neutral. An INEC that recorded a technical glitch in 2023 and has not satisfactorily explained it to Nigerians cannot simply be declared neutral. We are urging INEC to be neutral; as of today, it is not,” he stated.
Okonkwo, who also serves as a spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential campaign, further criticised the Tinubu administration’s handling of national affairs, particularly in the areas of governance and security.
According to him, the administration’s performance could affect the President’s chances of securing a second term in office.
“Tinubu should not even allow the election to hold; he should resign and go in peace,” he said.
The lawyer and actor also commented on the recent Court of Appeal judgment that overturned an earlier ruling directing INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties.
He argued that the judgment had reaffirmed the legitimacy of the party and frustrated efforts to weaken opposition groups through legal means.
“I had boasted that ADC does not have any legal challenge because we know the only challenge it has is the APC trying to use some instruments in the judiciary to litigate us out of existence. We resisted them, and they are failing and falling like a pack of cards,” he said.
Okonkwo also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to undermine opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.
He described the APC as a threat to democratic development, alleging that the party was employing different tactics to weaken its political rivals and limit effective opposition within the country.