The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC), a section of the Nigerian judiciary, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of orchestrating a plan to exclude opposition parties from the 2027 general election. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday in Victoria Island, Lagos, Pat Utomi, political economist and leader of the MCE, said INEC's recent withdrawal of recognition from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership, including David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, was a deliberate act to weaken opposition. He described the alliance between the APC, INEC, and parts of the judiciary as an "unethical combo" aimed at ensuring only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appears on the 2027 ballot. Utomi argued that INEC misapplied a Court of Appeal order on maintaining status quo, using it to justify blocking ADC communications during a critical period.
The MCE cited similar interventions in the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging a coordinated effort to destabilise opposition. Utomi claimed INEC had become a tool of the Tinubu administration, calling its officials "errand boys" and "a gang of electoral bandits." The group demanded the immediate resignation of the INEC chairman and his team. It also announced plans for zonal rallies leading to a national convergence in Abuja to push for electoral reforms. The statement was signed by civil society and political figures including Dr. Usman Bugaje, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, and Hajia Bilikisu Magoro.
Pat Utomi's accusation that INEC is acting as an extension of the APC raises serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral timeline already being managed by the commission. His claim that the ADC leadership was invalidated using a misapplied court order suggests process manipulation is becoming routine. If INEC continues to make decisions that disproportionately affect opposition parties, the 2027 election will be contested not just at the polls, but in public trust. Mobilisation by MCE may not stop that drift, but it signals growing resistance to perceived institutional capture.
