The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has broken its silence on Saturday’s by-elections, condemning the exercise as flawed, violent, and deeply compromised under the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the polls as marred by “intimidation, vote buying, violence, and manipulation.”
Despite recently being adopted by top opposition figures, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) failed to win a single seat or make any significant showing in Saturday’s by-elections across 13 states and 16 constituencies.
The party stressed that the outcome of the election should not be mistaken as a reflection of the Opposition Coalition’s strength. Instead, it said, the conduct of the polls revealed how far Nigeria’s electoral process had “deteriorated against the will of the people.”
“When elections are marred by widespread violence, when ballots are openly and brazenly exchanged for money, when opposition candidates are excluded without explanation, and when the very institutions entrusted to safeguard democracy become complicit, then the vote of the ordinary Nigerian ceases to have meaning,” the statement read.
The party pointed to several incidents across the country, including the arrest of nearly 300 armed thugs on election day, widespread reports of ballot box snatching, and the intimidation of voters at polling stations. In one state, a vote buyer was allegedly caught with ₦25.9 million intended for inducements, while in another, election officials themselves were implicated in bribery schemes.
The ADC further criticised the recurring failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some polling units, questioning the competence and sincerity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Nigerians deserve elections that command the implicit confidence of every citizen and the respect of the rest of the world. INEC must not be allowed to turn excuses into a code of conduct,” the party warned.
Despite recently being adopted by top opposition figures, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) failed to win a single seat or make any significant showing in Saturday’s by-elections across 13 states and 16 constituencies.