Kenneth Okonkwo, a lawyer and public affairs analyst, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of functioning as a division of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming that the electoral body has turned into a significant obstacle to the establishment and coordination of a strong opposition coalition in Nigeria.
Okonkwo rebutted claims that the new opposition alliance is already in disarray in an interview with ARISE News on Monday, stating that talks are still in their early stages and are centred on common goals.
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“How can something be in disarray when it has not started?” Okonkwo asked rhetorically. “What we have now is common priorities. We don’t have individual differences, because the time for individual ambitions has not commenced. So we’re just talking about options that we have.”
However, he bemoaned the fact that INEC’s independence and credibility—which he termed as “a department of the APC”—are a major obstacle for the opposition.
“With INEC as a department of APC, you know that they put unnecessary roadblocks to the opposition and engage in a lot of rough tackles,” Okonkwo said, citing alleged institutional bias and political interference that stifle the ability of opposition forces to freely organise and register new political platforms.
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He went on to say that creating a new political party would be the sensible course of action for creating a united front if Nigeria were ruled by the rule of law. However, opposition leaders are being compelled to look into other options as a result of INEC’s purportedly intentional delays in processing party registrations and approvals.
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