Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias following its derecognition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership led by David Mark.
INEC had on April 1 said it would no longer recognise both the Mark-led leadership and the faction led by Nafiu Bala after the court of appeal ordered parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum.
Speaking on BBC Newsday, Abubakar said the commission acted outside its legal bounds.
“We are accusing them [INEC] of misinterpreting the law, even though it is not their responsibility to do that. The court has already interpreted the law. We are also accusing them of bias,” he said.
When asked if the alleged bias was to keep President Bola Tinubu in power, he replied, “For sure”.
“The commission has not acted according to law… they have ignored the ruling of the highest court in the land,” he added.
Abubakar described INEC’s decision as a threat to democracy, warning of “dictatorship” and alleging government interference in electoral and judicial processes.
On insecurity, he said, “It is quite ironic and surprising that Nigeria cannot mobilise its armed forces to counter these activities.”
He also blamed rising unemployment for increasing crime, adding that stronger private sector engagement is needed to create jobs.
