You’re behind nation’s electoral woes, party’s national chair accuses INEC

National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralphs Nwosu, has attributed the major problems facing Nigeria’s democracy to the alleged ineffectiveness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Nwosu, who spoke yesterday after Patrick Obianyo and Anthony Aniebue emerged as chairman and secretary of the Anambra chapter of the party in Awka, claimed that if the electoral umpire had been “more sincere before now with the conduct of credible elections in Nigeria, democracy would have gone beyond the present situation.”

According to him, without credible election, democracy is in danger. He said: “If we had got our elections right, ADC would have, by now, formed government in Oyo, Ogun and Adamawa states. We would have a minimum of 20 senators and over 100 members in the House of Representatives.”

Nwosu further alleged: “But INEC is still not credible in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Poll is part of the problems in our democracy. Twenty-two years after we embarked on this journey, we ought to have crossed the hurdle of conducting credible election and getting responsible government, but unfortunately, we have not.

“However, democracy is not all about election, but about government and the people it represents. But INEC had made it not to be like that. It is unfortunate. As for me, I don’t even take INEC judgment for anything.

“INEC is supposed to be (an) epitome of democracy, unfortunately, years after, it is still derailing democracy in Nigeria. The first aspect of democracy is election.”

The ADC national chair equally attributed the country’s security challenges to bad leadership fueled by fraudulent polls. He stressed that once justice, fairness and equity take the centre stage in the country, there would be peace.