Do Not Judge Us By Bye-Election Results-ADC

…Alleges Vote Buying, Violence; Demands Investigation

By John Paul
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to launch a thorough investigation into alleged irregularities that marred Saturday’s by-elections across the country.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, claimed that the process was riddled with vote buying, violence, manipulation, and administrative lapses.

“In one state, a vote buyer was caught with ₦25.9 million intended to corrupt the will of the people. In another, election officials themselves were implicated in similar inducements. This is fast becoming the political culture of our electoral process,” Abdullahi alleged.

He also raised concern over reported failures of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in several polling units, warning that such lapses could undermine public confidence in future polls.

“Nigerians deserve elections that command the implicit confidence of every citizen and the respect of the rest of the world. INEC must act decisively—no excuses will suffice, especially with 2027 around the corner,” he said.

Abdullahi stressed that officials found culpable must face sanctions to restore faith in the electoral system.

While clarifying that ADC did not field candidates in most of the contested positions, he urged Nigerians not to judge the party by the by-election outcome.

He further called on civil society organisations, the media, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to unite in defending the sanctity of the ballot.