THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that Nigeria will witness the most distrusted elections since advent of democracy if the National chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan is allowed to conduct the 2027 general elections ,stressing that the consequences will be better imagined .

The ADC National chairman Senator David Mark gave the warning at the on-going National Opposition leaders Summit in Ibadan on Saturday emphasizing that Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral body describing the umpire as partial.

He warned:”let me use this opportunity to emphasize once again, that the credibility of our democracy rests on the neutrality and integrity of its electoral institutions. When the referee clearly and proudly wears the jersey of one of the teams in a match he should be officiating, then the legitimacy of the entire process is undermined. In this instance, Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral body, INEC. INEC is no longer an impartial umpire.

“And if nothing changes, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan is about to preside over the most distrusted election in Nigerian history. The consequences are better left to imagination.”

The former senate President reminded the opposition leaders that the gathering was an urgent response to our nation’s call to patriotic duty stressing that history will remember each of them that when the nation cried out to be rescued as well as heard the agonies of mothers that buried their children killed by bandits.

“When we saw the silent agonies of fathers and husbands who watched their daughters and wives raped by terrorists, we answered, that when struggling workers could not afford to transport themselves to work, we answered, that when children went to bed hungry, we answered, that when proud, hardworking citizens were turned to beggars; we answered. History will ask, what did we do? What role did we play? All of us here and millions who are with us but for one reason or the other are not here physically will answer positively.”

He said the call to rescue Nigeria is not a mere opposition slogan emphasizing that, “The evidence is there for all of us to see. Across the length and breadth of our country, insecurity has become a defining feature of daily life. From the avoidable protracted insurgency and terrorism, to the relentless banditry and mass kidnappings, to the steady rise of violent crimes in our urban centres, Nigeria faces a historic challenge.

“The statistics are frightening. In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded more than 12,000 conflict-related deaths. This figure exceeds those of countries who are actively at war, like Syria, Iraq and Yemen, combined. Nigeria is now ranked 4th in global terrorism index. Despite all the claims and posturing by government, the situation continues to get worse. While global terrorism deaths fell by 28% in 2025, Nigeria’s increased by 46%. At least 15 Nigerians are killed daily, while about 19 people are abducted. In the first three months of this year alone, about 1,400 Nigerians have been killed or abducted in different parts of the country.

“Entire communities are uprooted, families shattered, and livelihoods destroyed. Fear has taken the place of freedom, and uncertainty has replaced hope.

“Yet, the government, whose primary duty it is to protect the citizens, carry on with a shocking indifference as if nothing is wrong.

“We are a nation that is constantly in mourning, a nation burying its citizens with alarming regularity, a nation crying out for leadership and protection. While these killings and kidnappings continue relentlessly, the APC led government is behaving as if all is well. The government is preoccupied with election matters and politics of self-succession.

“The essence of democracy is to provide the people with a choice. When one government fails, like this government has woefully done, the constitution of our land grants the people the power to vote that government out. However, with what we have witnessed in recent times, the ruling party has done everything to deny the people of Nigeria this very right to seek an alternative. In the last three years, this government has launched major attacks on the opposition parties, all in a bid to deny the people the right to choose. They want to foist a one-party state on Nigeria. Institutions that should safeguard our freedom and protect the will of the people are increasingly under assault. The right of citizens to freely choose their leaders is being undermined. The independence of democratic institutions is being compromised. In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to describe what we have today as a fully functioning democracy in both form and substance.”

He reminded that gathering that they have a responsibility that is far more important than partisan sentiment, personal interest or personal ambition. “What is at stake; the very survival and restoration of our country, is greater than every single one of us. It involves sacrifice by every member in the opposition. I have no doubt in my mind, that no single opposition political party, no matter how strong, can confront a system so entrenched and so determined to retain power at all costs. What we are faced with is a regime that has shown, in both words and in deeds, a willingness to weaken democratic structures and suppress opposition voices. Let’s not make a mistake about this. The move towards a one-party state is real. It has never happened before in this country, and it will not happen in our generation.

“We must remember what has brought us here. We must remain clear that we cannot confront the future as fragmented entities. We must be united to salvage our nation. It is for these reasons that this gathering and our dealings must be anchored on honesty and integrity. We must put all our cards faced up on the table and speak truthfully to one another. There must be no hidden agendas, no last-minute surprises, and no room for distrust. Perhaps, more than anything else, the success of our collective effort depends on our ability to build and sustain trust.

“We are racing against time, and operating within a limited window. “The urgency of our situation does not permit repeated mistakes. We must be willing to rise above narrow sentiments and reject petty parochialism that has historically divided the oppositions in this country. This is the time to rewrite the story of coalition building in Nigeria.”