The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has delivered an Independence Day anniversary message to Nigerians and sent a warning note to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his message contained in a statement on Wednesday, Adebayo warned INEC against technical failures during the 2027 general elections, urging Nigerians to resist electoral malpractice and vote trading.
In the statement signed by Head of the Directorate of Media and Communications, of his Presidential Campaign, Mark Adebayo, the SDP candidate also pledged that his administration would tackle poverty and insecurity within four years if elected.
Adebayo alleged that electoral corruption was undermining Nigeria’s democracy and criticised the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) over its handling of the country.
He said, “History has shown us that when you steal the vote, you steal the destiny of the nation. Election rigging is not a victimless political game. It is a violent assault on the sovereignty of the citizens.
“It installs illegitimate leaders who feel no accountability to the public. This lack of accountability explains why our hospitals remain broken, our schools are crumbling, and our economy is in shambles. Bad governance is the direct, poisonous fruit of rigged elections.”
Adebayo also accused the APC-led administration of adopting what he described as an anti-democratic approach to governance.
He alleged that poverty was being used to influence voters and criticised what he described as economic policies implemented without sufficient consideration for citizens.
“The way the APC is ruling this country is, for the most part, completely anti-democratic,” he said.
“We are witnessing the weaponization of poverty, where citizens are deliberately impoverished so they can be bought cheaply at the polling booths. Economic policies are deployed without human empathy.
“Dissent is suppressed, and the judiciary is constantly subjected to political influence. This is not the democracy our heroes fought for; this is a civilian autocracy masquerading as a republic.”
On the 2027 elections, Adebayo warned INEC against what he described as possible technical failures in the management and publication of election results.
“This is a strict warning to INEC that there is no room for ‘glitches’ in 2027,” he said.
“Nigerians are wiser, hungrier, and more determined than ever before. Let it be known today that an excuse of a ‘technical glitch’ by INEC in 2027 will be totally unacceptable.
“We will not accept the deliberate shutdown of results viewing portals, nor will we tolerate sudden electronic failures that only seem to occur when the ruling party is losing.”
He said INEC had sufficient time to prepare for the election and argued that any failure in the deployment of election technology should attract scrutiny.
“INEC has years to prepare, and billions of Naira are allocated for technology. Any failure in 2027 will be viewed not as a glitch, but as a deliberate act of treason against the Nigerian people,” he said.
Adebayo also urged voters to reject inducement and manipulation during the elections.
“As we mark 66 years of independence, let us remember that true freedom means choosing our own leaders without coercion, bribery, or manipulation,” he said.
“Do not sell your vote for a morsel of bread today only to suffer for the next four years. Stand firm, protect your polling units, demand transparency, and let us collectively rescue Nigeria from the hands of electoral predators in 2027.”
(Ripples)
