The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has attributed its poor performance in Saturday’s bye-elections across several states to widespread violence, vote buying, and electoral irregularities.

 

Despite endorsements from key opposition figures such as former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, the ADC failed to make significant impact at the polls.

 

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that the elections were marred by incidents that compromised their credibility.

 

According to the ADC, reports indicated that about 300 armed thugs were arrested on election day, while multiple polling units witnessed cancellations due to ballot box snatching and voter intimidation.

 

The party also pointed to rampant vote buying, citing the arrest of a suspect in Kaduna with N25.9 million allegedly meant for inducement, as well as cases where electoral officials were implicated.

 

It further criticized the failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some locations and questioned the competence and sincerity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

“These by-elections are a dress rehearsal for 2027. If violence, vote buying, intimidation, and collusion with security forces become the new normal, Nigerians and the international community must brace themselves,” the statement warned.