By Myke Uzendu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of double standards, faulting its condemnation of the “rig and die” slogan while allegedly ignoring a threat by the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe, to use AK-47 rifles against opposition voters.
The party said INEC must demonstrate impartiality in addressing threats capable of undermining peaceful elections ahead of the 2027 general elections, irrespective of the political affiliation of those responsible.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC recalled remarks attributed to Tenebe in which he allegedly threatened to use AK-47 rifles against people who refused to vote for President Bola Tinubu.
While describing INEC’s condemnation of the “rig and die” slogan as appropriate, the opposition party said its silence over the alleged threat by the APC official raised questions about its neutrality.
“Why has INEC found its voice to condemn ‘rig and die’ but remained conspicuously silent on the threat by an APC chairman to use AK-47 rifles against opposition voters? Is a slogan more dangerous than a gun? Or does the identity of the person making the threat determine what INEC considers electoral violence?” the party asked.
The ADC challenged the electoral commission to disclose whether it had referred the alleged threat to security agencies and explain why it had not done so, if no referral had been made.
“If INEC is concerned about the language of those warning against electoral rigging, should it not be even more concerned when a political party official threatens voters with AK-47 rifles? Has INEC referred the matter to security agencies? If not, why not?” it queried.
The party warned that INEC’s intervention should not create the impression that it was only concerned about electoral violence when members or supporters of the ruling party were on the receiving end.
It stressed that it condemned electoral violence in all forms, regardless of whether the threats came from opposition supporters or ruling party officials.
The ADC maintained that INEC’s responsibility extended beyond condemning inflammatory political statements to ensuring an electoral environment where all Nigerians could exercise their voting rights freely without intimidation.
“However, INEC cannot demand peaceful elections without demonstrating equal concern for those threatened with violence. Its responsibility is not merely to condemn inflammatory language, but to demand an environment that permits every Nigerian to vote freely,” the statement said.
The party urged INEC to demonstrate its neutrality by addressing all alleged threats to electoral peace consistently, regardless of the political party or individual involved.
