The National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, (IPAC), Dr Yusuf Dantalle, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s comments on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the President should not speak on behalf of the electoral umpire and must be seen as a leader above party interests. Dantalle said while the President is entitled to his opinion, matters concerning INEC’s credibility and performance should be addressed by the commission itself.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, while receiving the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the State House in Abuja on July 29, 2026, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a neutral institution and has never intimidated anyone. The President also dismissed concerns from critics, saying those who raise allegations of electoral bias may be “afraid of their own shadows” and should not fear political competition. His comments sparked reactions from opposition figures and some Nigerians, including IPAC, who argued that the President’s defence of INEC could raise concerns about the perceived independence of the electoral body.

“First, he’s a Nigerian and he’s entitled to his opinion about the electoral umpire. But as the President of Nigeria, you are the President of both your party and the party in opposition, and that of INEC. Some statements must not be seen to be credited or coming from the President, especially of this magnitude. While the President is not the spokesperson of INEC and doesn’t work in INEC, I do not agree with the President making such remarks, because he is not the spokesperson of INEC. IPAC would not make such statements, but allow INEC to defend itself,” he insisted.

Dr Dantalle added that IPAC would continue to engage with INEC and assess the commission’s preparedness ahead of the elections. He said the council would await the outcome of the mock accreditation exercise and other assessments before making further comments on the electoral body’s level of readiness.

“INEC is to say this because recently we had engagement with INEC, we had some deeper engagement with INEC recently, and there are so many issues. Our problem is not with INEC as a body, but the laws with which INEC is operating within. IPAC has made some observations, which we put in form of recommendations and amendment to the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on the Constitution and Electoral Act Amendment on things to be done. As long as we do not address the foundation to some of our problems and we keep looking at the symptoms, these things will continue.

“We will still cross-examine INEC on some of the things that we think Nigerians need to know about their level of readiness. But we are waiting for the mock accreditation and a few other variables that we’ll talk about in due course,” he said.

Stressing that IPAC is not accusing INEC of intimidation, IPAC national chairman said the electoral body must be allowed to operate independently and in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. He reiterated the council’s call for reforms to ensure the appointment of INEC leadership and the commission’s funding are free from executive influence.

“I will not use the word intimidation. INEC doesn’t intimidate people, but INEC should be seen to do the bidding of what the Constitution and the Electoral Act mandate INEC to do, freely and fairly. What we are saying, or what IPAC has always advocated, is simple: INEC must be made to be fully independent.

“Our position has been: the appointment of the INEC Chairman and the National Commissioners of INEC should be taken away by the Constitution from the executive. So that INEC will be fully independent. The President, for instance, is empowered to appoint the Chairman of INEC, subject to screening and ratification by the National Assembly. But unfortunately, the President is also going to seek the vote of Nigerians, with other Nigerians who are going to contest side-by-side. Some of these things are issues that we are asking the National Assembly to see if, if not now, certainly this should be achieved.

“I won’t say INEC intimidated anybody, but INEC must be independent. Elections should be done freely, it should be done fairly, so that whatever INEC does will not affect the outcome at the end of the day,” he maintained.

The IPAC national chairman further called for voter registration to be made a continuous exercise, arguing that shutting down the process before elections could disenfranchise Nigerians who attain voting age after registration closes.

He said the system should allow citizens to register alongside processes such as obtaining their National Identification Numbers to ensure eligible Nigerians are not excluded from participating in elections.

“IPAC has always maintained a position, and our position is simple: voter card registration should be made in a way that Nigerians go to get their National Identification Numbers. It should not be limited, because if you shut down the registration of voters today, so many Nigerians will turn 18 tomorrow, so many Nigerians will turn 18 next year. How many Nigerians that will turn 18 between the period that the voter card will be shut down and the election? By implication, a lot of Nigerians will be disenfranchised by these policies. So for us, registration of voters should be a continuous exercise,” he stressed. (AriseNews TV, excluding headline)

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