Former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Kalu, has dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is manipulating the electoral system to weaken opposition parties, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains independent and deserving of public trust.

But the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, sounded the alarm over the perceived erosion of INEC’s independence, warning that it threatens to undermine public trust and destabilise Nigeria’s democratic process.

Meanwhile, the last has not been heard of the controversial X account linked to INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, as the Foundation for Digital Justice (FDJ) has written to INEC requesting the details of the forensic cybersecurity expert commissioned to probe the X account.

Kalu made the remarks while addressing journalists at the National Assembly lobby as part of events marking his 66th birthday. He described accusations from opposition groups, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as “frivolous” and damaging to Nigeria’s democratic reputation.

According to Kalu, the APC has no influence over INEC, which he said operates autonomously under its leadership.

“The APC as a party has nothing to do with INEC. INEC is an independent body, and we have a lot of respect for the Chairman of INEC. Let us stop this frivolity. People should take democracy seriously instead of de-marketing the country,” Kalu said.

The Abia North senator also rejected claims that the ruling party was pressuring politicians—particularly governors—to defect to its ranks. He emphasised that political alignment remains a personal decision, noting that President Bola Tinubu does not coerce anyone into joining the APC.

“President Tinubu has never begged anybody to leave his party or to join our party. If a governor decides to join APC, that is his business. Nobody is forcing anybody,” he stated.

Speaking on Arise News, Nwankwo expressed dismay at the present political climate, which appears to favour one party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“As we head to the 2027 general elections, it is very sad to see that it appears that only one party appears to be coasting to some level of stability as we go on. The other parties are mad in their own confusion because of the influence of the ruling party,” he said.

Nwankwo criticised INEC’s weakened credibility, citing successive election cycles and lack of transparency.

“INEC came out of the 2023 general election, even 2019, with its reputation severely dented, and we had said, INEC needs to rebuild its credibility, image and citizens’ trust in it. I think that’s the worrying issue.

“Those who win an election that people have no trust in the process, probably just end up with a pyrrhic victory. Pyrrhic victories always have consequences,” Nwankwo cautioned.

The PLAC boss questioned INEC’s independence, citing unnecessary election timetable adjustments and lack of result verification.

“So all of these things raise the question, is INEC making these decisions independently, or is it under political pressure to make these decisions?” he asked.

INEC, on Monday, released the findings of a forensic investigation into an alleged X account linked to Amupitan.

The electoral umpire said the investigation found that the account, @joashamupitan, and all posts attributed to the INEC chairman, were fake and “forensically unverifiable”.

INEC said it “commissioned an independent forensic cybersecurity expert, who conducted a multi-layered forensic and digital investigation using X platform data, Internet archive records, OSINT tools, identity forensics and cross-platform analysis”.

In a freedom of information (FOI) letter dated April 21 and addressed to Amupitan, FDJ asked INEC to provide certified true copy of the full report of the forensic investigation conducted in relation to the X account

FOI letter signed by the Legal Manager, Moses Alabi, the foundation also demanded the full name and professional profile of the independent forensic cybersecurity expert or firm engaged by the commission to conduct the said investigation.

The foundation demanded “a Certified True Copy of the Letter of Engagement or Service Level Agreement or any other legal documents executed between the commission and the forensic expert or firm, detailing the specific Scope of Work (SOW) and terms of reference for the alleged forensic audit,” the letter reads.

It also demanded the total amount INEC paid to the expert or firm for the services rendered, including a breakdown of such payments, as well as “any other necessary document, including but not limited to, the procurement records and metrics used in selecting the expert and the internal certificates of completion for the task.”

FDJ expressed confidence that the requests would be treated urgently in line with the seven days rule stipulated under Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

“In the unlikely event that our modest requests are not met within the statutory timeframe, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal steps, in furtherance of public interest,” it added. (The Guardian)

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