“INEC Doing Everything to Stop Opposition Against APC” — Amaechi

Former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately frustrating the efforts of opposition parties to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Thursday during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Amaechi claimed INEC is doing everything possible to limit political space in favour of the APC. He alleged that the commission has been slow-walking the registration of new opposition parties and ignoring legitimate efforts by political groups to gain recognition.

Amaechi said the coalition he is part of initially aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but had also initiated the formation of a new party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), which has been stalled by INEC. “If INEC had registered ADA, we would probably not have bothered about going to the ADC. The political space is closed for the benefit of the APC. I come to say that the INEC chairman is not ashamed,” he said.

He further alleged that INEC has been using procedural delays, such as requiring additional documentation like party office addresses and lists of officers, to hinder registration. “Some of them, their rents have expired. So, the chairman of INEC is deliberately doing that so there will be nobody fighting the APC,” Amaechi said, adding that recent elections were among the worst conducted since the era of former INEC chairman Maurice Iwu.

Despite these challenges, the former Rivers State governor expressed confidence that the ADC-led coalition would mobilise Nigerians to vote and resist any attempts to rig the 2027 elections.