Kenneth Okonkwo, a lawyer and Nollywood actor has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of throwing unnecessary obstacles in the way of opposition members in Nigeria’s polity.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Okonkwo described the electoral body as a department of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He alleged that INEC has continued to frustrate efforts by the coalition, championed by a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, to oust President Bola Tinubu from power.
Speaking on the coalition plans, the lawyer debunked claims that the movement was already in disarray.
He said, “Well, a coalition is a group of interested parties that come together for a common goal. You know, Nigerians like formulating stories which I call market talk. How can something be in disarray when it has not yet started?”
Okonkwo also noted that at the moment, all the political bigwigs interested in the coalition have only one aim which is to remove the APC-led government from power.
“People are talking and some opponents are already selling to you that it’s in disarray. What we have now is common priorities we don’t have individual difference because the time for individual ambitions have not commenced.
“So we are just talking about the options that we have, which is the option of; do we go for a new party altogether? Now with INEC as a department of APC, you know that they put a lot of roadblocks for the opposition and engages a lot of obstacles,” Okonkwo stated.
He further said that should the rule of law be respected, the coalition would have preferred to name a new party ahead of the 2027 elections.
“If we are in a nation where the rule of law is guaranteed under this kind of INEC, it would have been preferred to have a new party altogether, registered, where everyone would move in.
“But when INEC has the tendencies of delaying what is apparent, you can’t throw all your eggs in one basket,” he added.
