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• Accuses ruling party of plotting to exclude opposition through courts, intimidation
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has challenged President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to submit themselves to a free and fair contest in the 2027 general election, accusing the Federal Government of allegedly using the courts, security agencies and other state institutions to undermine opposition parties and manipulate the electoral process.
The council, which alleged that the ruling party was resorting to backdoor judicial processes to exclude the ADC from the presidential race, warned that attempts to restrict political competition and intimidate opposition supporters could undermine the credibility of the elections.
Its Director-General, Senator Austin Akobundu, in a statement, said the APC should demonstrate confidence in its electoral strength by allowing Nigerians to freely assess competing political programmes and choose their leaders without intimidation, obstruction or interference.
“If the Federal Government and the APC believe they have the capacity to win, let them allow a free and fair election. Let Nigerians choose without intimidation, obstruction or interference. They must stop trying to muzzle the political space and using a backdoor court process to remove us from the contest.
“Nigerians must be free to hear competing ideas, attend political events and choose their leaders without intimidation or interference. The ballot must remain the people’s choice, and every party must be allowed to campaign freely,” Akobundu said.
The ADC campaign director-general, who urged the ruling party to stop what he described as attempts to constrict the political space, maintained that Nigerians must be allowed to exercise their democratic rights without fear, particularly as political parties intensify campaigns ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
He appealed to ADC supporters to remain calm and resolute despite the challenges confronting the party, stressing that the opposition coalition would continue its nationwide mobilisation and engagement with voters.
“We call on our party supporters to remain calm and resolute. Let us continue to campaign peacefully and confidently, knowing that the people’s will must prevail.
“The ADC will continue to engage Nigerians across the country with its message of affordable living, opportunity and national renewal. We are grateful to everyone who welcomed our candidates in Sokoto and Kebbi, and we look forward to meeting more Nigerians as the campaign continues,” he said.
Akobundu also expressed appreciation to party supporters and residents of Sokoto and Kebbi states for what he described as the overwhelming reception accorded the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, during their campaign engagements.
According to him, the turnout demonstrated growing public enthusiasm for the party’s message and the determination of Nigerians to participate in deciding the country’s political future.
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“The scale of the welcome was a powerful expression of the people’s enthusiasm for the ADC campaign and their determination to have a voice in the country’s future,” he said.
In a related statement, the campaign council declared that President Tinubu would lose the 2027 presidential election, insisting that alleged intimidation, political violence and manipulation of democratic institutions would not prevent Nigerians from voting against the ruling party.
The council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the APC of allegedly deploying security agencies against opposition parties in what he described as a desperate attempt to retain political power.
Citing reported attacks on opposition members and supporters in different parts of the country, Ologbondiyan warned that the growing incidents of political violence and intimidation posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and the credibility of the forthcoming elections.
“This is not politics. This is state-sponsored terror against democracy,” he alleged.
He also raised concerns about the preparedness and neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the commission’s voter register database had been compromised and that individuals sympathetic to the APC had been deployed to sensitive positions within the electoral body.
Ologbondiyan further questioned the alleged involvement of a serving director of a security agency in the APC Presidential Campaign Council, describing it as a violation of the law establishing the agency and a development capable of undermining public confidence in the neutrality of security institutions.
He maintained that the alleged deployment of state institutions against political opponents reflected a government more concerned with retaining power than submitting itself to a credible electoral contest.
“One thing is now very clear to all Nigerians: Tinubu is not preparing for an election. He is preparing for a coronation.”
Ologbondiyan called on security agencies to resist political pressure and remain faithful to their constitutional responsibilities, stressing that their loyalty must be to the Nigerian people and the Constitution rather than any political party or individual.
“Those who allow themselves to be used as tools of oppression today will answer for their actions tomorrow,” he warned.
The campaign council maintained that despite the alleged attempts to frustrate its participation in the elections, the ADC would continue its political activities and mobilise Nigerians around its programmes on affordable living, economic opportunities and national renewal.
