The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has attributed its
poor performance in Saturday’s by-elections to widespread violence, vote
buying, and irregularities allegedly perpetrated under the administration of
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the 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.