Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 Imo State governorship election, has launched a scathing attack on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary over the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming Governor Hope Uzodinma as the winner of the poll.
Achonu described INEC as “another arm of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)” and stated that the country’s democracy has turned into a “circus.” He expressed concerns about the judiciary’s attitude towards election matters, saying that their pronouncements now outweigh the people’s votes.
However, INEC’s spokesperson in Imo State, MaryAnn Gods light, defended the commission, stating that it is “as independent as stipulated by the constitution of Nigeria.” She added that Achonu’s claims are merely “one man’s personal opinion.”
The Imo State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Cajethan Duke, dismissed Achonu’s allegations as “laughable, ridiculous, and delusional.” He argued that INEC has continued to earn the confidence of international communities in their efforts to deepen democracy in Nigeria.
Achonu said, “It has become painfully evident that the Independent National Electoral Commission has become another arm of the ruling party, the APC, turning our entire democratic institution into a mere circus.” He added, “The audacity of this practice, where the judiciary’s pronouncements outweigh the people’s votes, should alarm every patriotic Nigerian.”
The development has sparked concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process and the role of the judiciary in election matters. As the country prepares for future elections, the debate over the independence of INEC and the judiciary is likely to continue.
