In a recent statement via his official X account, human rights lawyer and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has criticized the actions of Nigeria’s electoral body, alleging that recent developments against ADC point to a coordinated effort to undermine opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
”This is the judgment and order that @inecnigeria’s Joash Amupitan turned into a thunderstrike. The terms are plain enough,” he wrote.
In his post, Odinkalu was reacting to a court judgment and subsequent actions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Odinkalu argued that the electoral body misapplied the ruling in a way that significantly altered its impact.
He suggested that what appeared to be a straightforward legal decision was transformed into a major political move with far-reaching consequences, according to him, the interpretation and implementation of the judgment raised serious concerns about neutrality.
He maintained that such actions could influence the political environment and limit the ability of opposition parties to compete effectively and linked the situation to what he has consistently described as a broader pattern involving both electoral and judicial institutions.
He warned that these developments could be part of a larger strategy that benefits the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the expense of other political actors.
He stressed that electoral management bodies must act strictly within the law and avoid any steps that may appear biased, in his view, public confidence in elections depends heavily on the perceived independence of institutions like INEC.
The senior lawyer cautioned that using legal processes in ways that reshape political outcomes could weaken democratic structures, he said elections should be open, competitive, and fair to all participants.
Odinkalu urged Nigerians to remain alert and closely follow political and legal developments as the country prepares for future elections and stated that safeguarding democracy requires constant vigilance and a strong commitment to fairness by all institutions involved. Read_More…