₦airaland Forum

A former coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Organisation in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa, has alleged that Nigeria’s electoral body is no longer neutral.

He claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is largely dominated by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that such a situation could threaten the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate, made the claim during an interview, where he spoke on the current political climate and preparations ahead of the next presidential poll.

He said the alleged appointments into INEC go against the law, which clearly states that officials of the commission must be non-partisan.

According to him, there are growing concerns that the ruling party is positioning itself to dominate the political space without opposition.

He warned that any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state would fail, insisting that the country’s size and diversity cannot support such a system.

Speaking on the situation, he said: “The situation is confused, and I think politicians today didn’t learn any lessons over the years.”

Marafa expressed worry that the actions of political actors could destabilise the system if not properly handled. He noted that Nigeria’s population and political complexity make it impossible for any single party to control everything without resistance.

He said: “You cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, railroad a country of nearly 300 million people into just one political party. It just cannot work.”

The former lawmaker also questioned the neutrality of INEC, stating that he no longer has confidence in the electoral body. He argued that although Nigeria has strong electoral laws, the problem lies in how those laws are implemented.

He said: “How can I have confidence in INEC? I don’t know the kind of people… The law establishing INEC provides that anybody that is to be appointed into the umpire must be neutral, non-partisan.”

Marafa insisted that, contrary to this requirement, many of those currently occupying key positions in the commission are politically affiliated. He said this has made it difficult for the body to act independently in sensitive matters.

He added: “But what we have today—everybody knows that it is card-carrying members of political parties that are being appointed into positions of authority in INEC.”

He further criticised the commission’s handling of internal party matters, especially its position on the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to him, the commission’s interpretation of legal directives in the matter raises questions about its impartiality.

Marafa also took a swipe at the ruling party, accusing it of trying to avoid a competitive election despite its control of several states and key government institutions. He described the situation as “unfortunate and laughable,” noting that a party with such influence should not fear opposition.

He questioned the election timetable being proposed, arguing that the long gap between party primaries and the general election does not make political sense.

On the issue of political loyalty within INEC, Marafa declined to name specific parties but maintained that those appointed often align with the interest of those in power.

He said: “But the bottom line is, regardless of their political parties, they are going to dance to the music of he that appoints them.”

He concluded with a warning that no group or individual can assume absolute control over the country’s political future, stressing that history has shown such efforts often fail.

“In all these things, anybody that tried to play God, God always has a way of showing human beings that God is God and human beings are human beings,” he said

aswani:
Did we read the same thing? He was there to welcome Aregbe and Mark to ADC. Suddenly Nwosu resigned, after I guess seeing the alert, as did the then chairman.

They pulled the rug from right under his feet without sending him any alert and they don't want him to cry out, how is that fair? On top of that, they are now doing monitoring spirit on top of his matter.

If this ADC mistakenly gets to power ẹhn, we don enter one chance finish for dis country bí dat.

Gotocourt:
Tinubu declared war before he was sworn in as president 🤷🏿.

yarimo:
from where ?

Parachoko:
If not for Donald Trump's illegal war in Iran, we will be buying petrol for around #700/litre by now.

When the war ends and barrels of oil start falling, the price of fuel will start falling again in Nigeria

Omoboricash:
May be you can help me summarize the passage. May be my comprehension is poor. Thank you.

Omoboricash:
Do they ask other parties not to feed whoever sweet them.
Did ApC imposed their internal arrangement with other political parties.
Let opposition out their house in Order and do the right thing.simple

Lithiumite:
Apc is taking over bauchi.....you think tugger resignation nah joke.

The Action Peoples Party, APP, has taken legal action against the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, over alleged discrepancies in documents submitted for the forthcoming election.

The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Osogbo, listed the Independent National Electoral Commission and the APC as defendants, alongside Oyebamiji.

Court filings submitted by the APP through its representative, Abdulateef R., asked the court to examine whether the documents provided by Oyebamiji met constitutional requirements for participation in the governorship poll.

According to the originating summons dated March 16, the plaintiff urged the court to determine if the candidate’s nomination aligns with provisions of Section 182(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended.

The APP requested the court to nullify the publication of Oyebamiji’s name as the APC candidate for the election scheduled for August 15, 2026.

The party also sought a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from recognising or dealing with Oyebamiji as a candidate in the election process.

The suit also asked the court to compel INEC to remove the APC candidate’s name from the official list of contestants already released for the poll.

Reacting to the development, the APC in Osun rejected the claims, describing the suit as baseless and politically motivated.

Speaking on behalf of the party, its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, said, “We were not surprised that such a frivolous suit has been filed against our candidate’s eligibility.”

Olabisi added that the party believed the action was orchestrated to distract from the strength of its candidate ahead of the election.

“We state unequivocally that our governorship candidate is eminently qualified, having satisfied all statutory requirements necessary for contesting the election,” he said.

He alleged that the lawsuit reflected anxiety among political opponents, insisting that no legal challenge would prevent the APC from participating fully in the forthcoming governorship election.