By CHARLES IWUOHA

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Imo State Chapter, has raised the alarm over sponsorship of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), alongside the 27 LG Electoral officers and other officials, on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem by the state government.

The party said it been compelled by conscience and duty to address the Imo public, the security agencies, human rights institutions, the international democratic community and donor agencies on a deeply troubling development reported by Sahara Reporters concerning the alleged sponsorship.

ADC said the party speaks not in malice, but in mourning; not in rage, but in reason; not in hatred, but in hope, hope that the democracy is still salvageable, hope that truth can still prevail, hope that the soul of the nation's electoral system can yet be redeemed.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the party's Spokesperson, Chief Macdonald Amadi and made available to journalists in Owerri on Wednesday.

According to the statement, "History has taught humanity a bitter lesson: when those entrusted to guard the sanctity of elections begin to feast at the table of political power, democracy begins to bleed.

"INEC was not created to be grateful to politicians. INEC was created to be faithful to the Constitution. INEC was not designed to be sponsored. INEC was designed to be sovereign.

It stated that the reported action, if true constitutes a grievous erosion of the independence, integrity, and moral authority of the electoral body, adding that it sends a dangerous signal to the public that those who should stand between power and the people have chosen instead to kneel before power.

"This singular act amounts to a vote of no confidence passed by the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission on its own. For when an umpire accepts favors from one team, the crowd no longer trusts the whistle.

"We must remind the world: democracy does not always collapse through coups. Sometimes, it dies quietly through compromises, through indulgences, through silence.

"There is an African proverb that says: “The bush baby cried in the night, and the child died in the morning.” Warnings are often whispered before disasters roar.

"We are therefore placing this on record today: "If anything happens to democracy in Imo State, INEC must not pretend to be innocent.

"The party called on the Nigerian Security Agencies, Human Rights Organizations, Civil Society Institutions, Diplomatic and International Democratic Community, to immediately investigate this development and safeguard the neutrality of Nigeria's electoral institutions.

"Democracy is not sustained by slogans. It is preserved by systems. It is defended by institutions. And when those institutions begin to wobble, nations fall.

"This is not about ADC. This is about Nigeria.

"This is about the soul of elections. This is about the future of Imo State. We refuse to be silent while the altar of democracy is being traded for souvenirs of compromise.

"We declare: Elections must not be sponsored. Referees must not be entertained. Institutions must not be captured. The ADC stands for justice. The ADC stands for transparency. The ADC stands for the people."