The Lagos State African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairmen have called for urgent amendments to the 1999 Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act, citing concerns over the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the appointment of Supreme Court Justices.
This is as the party reaffirmed its readiness to change the trajectory of the country, saying, “Nigerians continue to suffer untold hardship with the incumbent government’s programmes and projects seemingly very far from addressing them.”
The chairmen, led by Ugochukwu Anaere, stated this at a briefing in Lagos on Friday, where they also condemned threats made by the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Lagos State Chapter, Mustapha Adekunle (Sego), against ADC members.
The ADC leaders alleged that their members had faced attacks and threats, particularly during the 2023 general elections, and expressed fears that such incidents might recur in the 2027 elections.
The ADC chairmen also condemned Adekunle’s threats, describing them as “careless, barbaric, uncivilised, provocative, impunitive, intimidative, and dreadful.”
They demanded Adekunle’s immediate arrest and prosecution, citing concerns over the safety of their members and the potential for electoral violence.
The party leaders called on the relevant authorities to take adequate steps to secure votes and protect the lives and property of Nigerian voters.
They commended INEC for its diligence so far and urged the commission to ensure that eligible voters are registered and their data updated.
“Lagos State ADC Chairmen are of the strong view that the sanctity of the 2027 elections cannot be guaranteed unless certain aspects of the 1999 Constitution(as amended) and the 2022 Electoral Act are urgently amended.
“As it is presently constituted, we believe the INEC is truly not independent, and we urgently demand that the powers to appoint the leadership of the electoral umpire should not be vested with the President. Ditto the appointment of the Justices of the Supreme Court.
“Virtually all our colleagues from the 20 LGAs in the state have reported one form of threat and or attack, and we have escalated these to the party hierarchy and the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services(DSS). Regrettably, these threats and attacks appear intractable.
“During the 2023 elections, in some parts of Lagos State, voters were openly and forcefully compelled to vote for the APC or turned back home.
“With 17 months or so before the 2027 General Elections, we cannot treat the real and or imagined threats from Sego and his numerous co-travellers with levity. To do so would be most irresponsible. By this International Press Conference, we are simply collectively saying here that we do not want our voices, as the grassroot leaders of our great party, to be silenced and the fortunes of the party eclipsed.
“We do not want ballot boxes snatched, stolen, grabbed at gunpoint, or victims of machete cuts and bruises littering our polling units anymore as 2027 approaches. We do not want our members and leaders to be intimidated, harassed or brutalised anymore by any individual or groups of persons under any guise anymore, and appeal, to you, gentlemen of the press, that you use your esteemed media platforms to ventilate these grave concerns of ours and cause relevant national and subnational authorities to cause adequate steps to be taken to secure our votes and protect the lives and property of Nigerian voters, irrespective of their state, religion, creed, party affiliations and so on.
“We make bold to say that without the full backing of the federal government, these threats cannot happen easily without the perpetrators being timeously arrested and prosecuted by the Police working in concert with the DSS. We are afraid Sego’s threat was clear, open and direct. How do we, as a polity, respond to it?”
