Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, has publicly accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately frustrating opposition political parties’ efforts to form a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Amaechi alleged that INEC is systematically closing the political space to benefit the APC, hindering the registration of new opposition parties and coalitions.
Amaechi explained that all opposition coalition members currently operate under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) because the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), a coalition he leads, has been stalled by INEC. He accused the electoral body’s leadership of deliberately delaying the process, pointing out that some parties whose registrations were ignored have already had their office leases expire, yet INEC has taken no action to resolve these issues. He bluntly stated, “The political space is closed for the benefit of the APC. I come to say that the INEC chairman is not ashamed.” He also compared the current INEC leadership unfavorably to Maurice Iwu’s tenure, which was widely criticized for electoral malpractice.
Despite these setbacks, Amaechi vowed that the ADC coalition would mobilize Nigerians to vote and resist election rigging. He emphasized that the rigging machinery constitutes only a small fraction of the population about two percent and urged the remaining 98 percent to rise and prevent electoral fraud, including manipulation by INEC itself.
This allegation of bias is echoed by other opposition figures, including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Ibrahim Kalgo, who accused INEC of colluding with the APC to block over 70 new political party registrations, thereby suppressing alternatives to the ruling party.
Amaechi’s comments come amid growing concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process and the political dominance of the APC. The opposition coalition, anchored by prominent figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark, has adopted the ADC as its political platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2027. However, the alleged obstruction by INEC threatens to undermine their efforts to present a credible alternative.
The situation underscores the intense political struggle ahead of the 2027 elections, with opposition leaders warning that without fair electoral practices, Nigeria risks further erosion of its democratic institutions and a slide toward one-party dominance.