Chairman, ADC Legislators’ Forum, Honourable Uko Nkole has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) of actions he says are undermining opposition parties, alleging that the commission has effectively cut off communication with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a critical pre-election period.
Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday after the press conference of the ADC’s Legislators’ Forum, he maintained that there is no internal crisis within the party and argued that recent developments raise concerns about the fairness and integrity of the electoral process.
“There is no crisis in ADC, I must state that clearly. So, I mean, we’re in an election period and timing is of the greatest essence. INEC has released its timetable. And today, it has never been the contemplation of any law, any known law in Nigeria, that an organization would become rudderless, no leadership. It has never happened.
“INEC, as it stands today, without no court order, has disconnected themselves, they don’t accept communication from ADC. You know the implication of that, presiding an election. So what does that portend? It portends that INEC itself, using the instrumentality of their office, is stifling opposition, creating problems where none exist. So it’s a problem, and we cannot sit down knowing what the law says, extant rules and regulations,” he stated.
Responding to questions about the objective of the press conference, Hon. Nkole said the aim was to clarify what he described as growing confusion around the legality of recent political developments.
“The scenario today is that APC has used their machinery to create a marketplace situation such that people don’t understand really the legitimacy or the illegitimacy of those actions,” he explained.
He further urged key government actors—once beneficiaries of a free opposition—to uphold those same democratic standards.
“So we spoke to the President directly, who, at some point, was a senator before he became the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And also our colleague, Right Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila, the current Chief of Staff to the President, who is the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives where all of us belong. And most importantly, these actors today—state actors today—are beneficiaries of opposition of yesterday. And they were given a very clean slate to operate.”
Speaking on the mood within the party ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, Hon. Nkole maintained that the ADC remains stable internally, describing the challenges it faces as driven by external forces rather than internal divisions.
“Why I did say there is no crisis—this crisis is ‘extraterrestrial,’ if you understand where I’m going to. There’s external forces behind it,” Nkole said.
He expressed confidence in the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, to uphold justice, stating that the party expects a fair outcome in line with the law and the broader interests of Nigeria’s democracy.
“Our expectations are very clear, like we opined on our statement. We did say the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, is the bastion of the common man. And also democracy is seriously under threat. The threat is not coming from internal; it’s coming from the INEC chairman assuming the powers of the judiciary. So we’re hopeful that the Supreme Court, gauging the mood of the nation—because the major political opposition today is ADC—and we don’t expect the Supreme Court to close their eyes to injustice,” he maintained.
On what happens if the Supreme Court’s ruling does not go in their favour, Nkole said the ADC remains confident in a positive outcome, insisting that they believe the court will “do the right thing.”
“We are very optimistic that the Supreme Court will do the right thing.”
Favour Odima
