PDP Raises Alarm Over INEC’s Declining Credibility
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed deep concern that public confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fallen to a historic low. The party argues that the commission is no longer functioning as an independent and transparent arbiter of Nigeria’s electoral process.
According to the PDP, INEC under the leadership of Professor Joash Amupitan increasingly behaves like an extension of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), allegedly carrying out the party’s agenda to preserve the status quo in the forthcoming 2027 elections.
The opposition party cited selective compliance with court rulings, persistent opacity in the electronic transmission system, and a general lack of openness as factors that have left voters feeling that INEC no longer serves the citizenry.
“For any democracy to withstand an economic downturn, the electorate must believe that their grievances can be addressed through the ballot,” the PDP statement read. “That belief hinges on an independent umpire. Yet, public confidence in INEC has hit a historic low.”
INEC Opens Access Codes for 2027 Candidate Nominations
Despite the criticism, INEC has granted access codes to nine registered political parties, allowing them to upload candidates’ names for the 2027 general elections. The parties benefiting from this access include the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), among others.
Candidates are expected to contest the presidential, governorship, Senate, and House of Representatives races, except in Kogi and Osun states where governorship elections are held off‑cycle.
A senior INEC official, who requested anonymity, dismissed reports that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) had been barred from using the commission’s candidate nomination portal.
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