The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the electoral body of betraying public trust in the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
The party accused during a high-level meeting with the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) held in Abuja, where both parties agreed that Nigeria’s last elections represented a major setback to the nation’s democratic progress.
In a statement shared via X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday by the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the ADC described the outcome of the 2023 polls as a “betrayal of confidence” and a “breach of public trust” by INEC.
The EU delegation, led by Mr. Barry Andrews, Chief of Mission and Member of the European Parliament, met with ADC leaders to review the 2023 elections and propose reforms to strengthen future democratic processes.
According to the ADC, its delegation to the meeting was headed by National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and included several top political figures such as Liyel Imoke, Emeka Ihedioha, Babachir Lawal, Bolaji Abdullahi, Ibrahim Mani, and Chile Igbawua.
Both parties agreed that the 2023 elections fell short of Nigerians’ expectations, with the ADC insisting that INEC’s failure to uphold its promise of transparency during result collation deeply damaged public confidence in the system.
“INEC’s inability to transmit results from polling units to the IReV (INEC Result Viewing Portal) in real time was a betrayal of public trust and a breach of confidence in the electoral process,” the statement read.
The ADC further alleged that the final results announced by INEC were inconsistent with the votes cast at the polls, adding that the discrepancies undermined the will of the electorate and diminished citizens’ faith in democracy.
“The final results declared were inconsistent with the votes cast, frustrating the will of the electorate and diminishing public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy,” Aregbesola stated.
The meeting concluded with a joint call for urgent electoral reforms to restore credibility and ensure free, fair, and transparent elections ahead of 2027.
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