ABUJA/Nigeria: Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, issued a stark warning on Tuesday, asserting that the looming 2027 elections in Nigeria, under the governance of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC, face a severe credibility crisis.
In a detailed response following the recent off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa, Frank decried the pervasive electoral fraud and manipulation witnessed, particularly highlighting the distressing situations in Kogi and Imo states. He emphatically asserted that these occurrences foreshadow a grim fate for future elections in the country.
Frank expressed deep concerns about the compromised state of Nigeria’s electoral system, citing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he accused of descending into a rigging mechanism under the influence of the APC. He specifically pointed out manipulations through the INEC Result View (IReV) portal and the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS), leading to the pre-determination of polling unit results before voters even cast their ballots.
The former APC official, also serving as the United Liberating Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, lamented the complicity of the judiciary and security agencies. He highlighted their roles in legitimizing electoral malpractices and actively participating in the rigging process, transforming into extensions of the ruling party’s influence.
Frank adamantly linked the audacious level of rigging in Imo and Kogi to Tinubu’s ascension to the presidency through similar acts of rigging and judicial validation of such impunity in the past.
Expressing concern for Nigeria’s democratic regression, he painted a grim picture of a nation sliding into a one-party state reminiscent of countries like Cameroon, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. Frank pointed fingers at compromised opposition governors, particularly from the PDP, accusing them of relinquishing their roles due to harassment and blackmail, thereby facilitating the ruling party’s dominance.
He issued a rallying cry to Nigerians, urging them to stand up against the erosion of democracy and to resist the APC’s potential manipulation in the upcoming elections. Frank emphasized the need for citizens to take action to defend the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process before it transforms into a mere formality to endorse APC candidates.
The former APC official concluded by stressing the urgency for a collective effort to prevent the country from descending further into a one-party state, calling for proactive measures to safeguard democracy and ensure fair, transparent, and credible future elections.
