A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his defence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the President had assumed the role of the electoral body's spokesperson instead of allowing it to respond to concerns about its conduct.
Speaking during a national television programme monitored in Abuja on Friday, the actor-turned-politician said it was inappropriate for the President to publicly defend the commission, particularly amid unresolved controversies surrounding the 2023 general election.
"It is very sad. Any country that has a president who has morphed into the chief spokesperson of INEC is in trouble," Okonkwo said.
The ADC chieftain maintained that INEC still owed Nigerians satisfactory explanations over issues arising from the conduct of the 2023 general election, especially the technical glitches recorded during the exercise.
"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 said.
Okonkwo, who also serves as spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential bid, further criticised the Tinubu administration, arguing that its performance in critical sectors, including security and governance, could undermine the President's prospects of securing a second term in office.
He advised Tinubu against seeking re-election in 2027, insisting that stepping aside after his first term would be in the country's interest.
"Tinubu should not even allow the election to hold; he should resign and go in peace," Okonkwo stated.
On the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal, which set aside an earlier ruling directing INEC to deregister the ADC and four other political parties, Okonkwo said the appellate court's decision had vindicated the party.
According to him, the judgment reaffirmed the ADC's legal status after what he described as an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate the party through the courts.
