The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has attributed its poor performance in Saturday’s by-elections to what it described as widespread violence, vote buying, and irregularities allegedly perpetrated under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party claimed the polls were marred by incidents that cast doubt on their credibility.
According to the ADC, security operatives reportedly arrested about 300 armed thugs on election day, while several polling units witnessed ballot box snatching and voter intimidation, leading to cancellations.
The party also cited cases of vote buying, including the arrest of a suspect with N25.9 million in Kaduna, as well as reports of election officials allegedly being involved in inducements.
Raising further concerns, the ADC pointed to failures of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some states, questioning the competence and sincerity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“These by-elections are a dress rehearsal for 2027. If violence, vote buying, intimidation, and collusion with security forces become the new normal, Nigerians and the international community must brace themselves,” the statement read.