The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has blamed its poor showing in Saturday’s by-elections on what it described as widespread violence, vote buying, and irregularities allegedly orchestrated under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the exercise was marred by incidents that undermined the credibility of the polls.
The ADC alleged that in some states, about 300 armed thugs were arrested on election day, while several polling units were cancelled due to ballot box snatching and voter intimidation.
It also cited reports of vote buying, including the arrest of a suspect with N25.9 million in Kaduna and cases where election officials were implicated in inducements.
The party further expressed concern over the failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, in some states and questioned the competence and sincerity of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“These by-elections are a dress rehearsal for 2027. If violence, vote buying, intimidation, and collusion with security forces become the new normal, Nigerians and the international community must brace themselves,” the statement read.
