Former SDP Presidential Candidate Knocks INEC Over Off-cycle Elections

Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the last election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) over the conduct of last Saturday’s off-cycle elections in Imo Bayelsa and Kogi states.

Adebayo called on the electoral commission to review the recently held governorship election in Kogi State within the next seven days.

He said the elections ought to have been very simple considering the fact that it was only in three states unlike what obtained in February and March when elections were conducted in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Reacting to the outcome of the elections, he said; “INEC has a window between now and next seven days after the elections to review this process, otherwise, what we are having will just be a system where people take it for granted that INEC is not serious about electioneering. 

“It is not serious about credibility as it is there to waste everyone’s time. Under the new Electoral Act, INEC has seven days to do a review and we are giving and assisting them with all information to ensure they listen to other people, including the observers, and I believe INEC should review it.”

He also noted that if the review is done properly and thoroughly, his party, the SDP, would continue to be law-abiding irrespective of whether it favours them or not.

“Even if the review doesn’t favour us, we are SDP and a law abiding party and we respect the country, so we will abide by it. But if it is not done or poorly done, we would take extra steps to call on the judiciary to intervene and look into it, and we are making sure that we narrow our claim to the judiciary on the things we are sure of,” he added.

Adebayo also lampooned the government for constantly committing errors on a daily basis and promised to continue to criticize the government to ensure that such errors are corrected and also to provide alternatives to  Nigerians.

“It’s one error or the other every day. We criticise them to correct those errors. And we organise our people to have a culture of democracy. That is why we work very hard in Kogi and other states. We will keep working to ensure we give our people an alternative.

“What will I do now with all the frustration? Will I go and join APC, which I don’t agree with, because 99.9 percent of their policies I don’t agree with? I won’t. So, we will continue to be where we are in the opposition, but we will continue to be loyal to the country and respectful to the government and then ensure that the system works,” he stated.