The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sounded a stern warning over what it describes as troubling moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying they point to a broader plan to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

The warning came in a statement by the PDP’s factional National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, who urged key national institutions to remain neutral and resist any pressure that could undermine democracy

According to the party, recent decisions and actions by INEC are fuelling fears that the electoral space may already be tilting in favour of the ruling party, pushing the country’s political climate closer to breaking point.

“Recent political developments, widely seen as orchestrated moves against opposition parties, have pushed the country’s political temperature to near-fever levels. Like the human body, society either adapts under such strain or begins to break down,” the party said.

The PDP went further, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being determined to retain power in 2027, whatever it takes.

“It is now common knowledge that the ruling All Progressives Congress intends to win the next presidential elections at all costs, by hook or crook,” the statement said.

A key flashpoint, the party noted, is INEC’s decision to derecognise the David Mark-led National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a move it says has deepened political uncertainty and heightened tension.

“While we concede that, semantically, the same words and sentences can convey different meanings, it is troubling that INEC’s default interpretation of matters concerning political parties consistently appears to favour the much-perceived and prevailing notion of an uncontested election,” it said.

The PDP warned that such developments risk reducing the 2027 election to a mere formality, adding that suspicions about the Commission’s motives are becoming harder to ignore.

It also drew attention to INEC’s recent publication of political party monitoring activities, noting that while such actions fall within its legal powers, their timing is raising serious questions.

“These activities are rumoured to result in the de-registration of opposition political parties, a development that would further injure our democracy,” Ememobong added.

Beyond INEC, the party widened the lens, warning that the issue now goes to the heart of how national institutions are being perceived.

“National institutions have now become the executioners of this ill-conceived plan. No institution is too sacred or too fragile to be deployed on this mission; the judiciary, INEC, the clergy, among others,” it said.

Calling for restraint, the PDP urged institutions, especially INEC, to put the country first and guard their independence.

“We hereby passionately appeal to all national institutions, especially INEC, not to yield to partisan pressures or the influence of appointing authorities. They must place the interests of democracy and the country above all else,” the party stated.

It stressed that Nigeria is at a delicate moment, where both institutional credibility and public patience are being stretched.

“This is a critical moment in our democratic journey, where the fragility and vulnerability of the polity are being tested to their limits. No individual or institution should stretch the patience of Nigerians beyond its present bounds,” the statement said.

The PDP called for a ‘country-first’ approach that rises above party lines, warning that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy may well depend on the choices being made now. (Vanguard)

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