Northern youths under the aegis of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) have reaffirmed its confidence in the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
News About Nigeria reports that the development follows recent comments made by Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
In a statement issued on Saturday, AYCF President General, Yerima Shettima, reiterated the Forum’s long-standing belief in INEC’s commitment to fairness, impartiality, and transparency in conducting elections.
Shettima praised Peter Obi’s acknowledgment that the judiciary, rather than INEC, poses the greatest challenge to Nigeria’s democracy, further strengthening the AYCF’s conviction in INEC’s integrity.
“The AYCF has consistently maintained that INEC is a credible, impartial, and unbiased institution that conducts credible elections. Peter Obi’s remarks have vindicated our stance and affirmed that INEC is not the primary obstacle to democratic electoral practices in Nigeria,” Shettima explained.
The AYCF said strong institutions like INEC are important in ensuring the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process and warned against the detrimental impact of the judiciary assuming the role of the sole arbiter in election matters.
The Forum commended INEC for its dedication to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and safeguarding the democratic rights of Nigerian citizens.
The AYCF condemned any attempts to undermine INEC’s credibility or question its impartiality, stating that such actions are detrimental to the progress of Nigeria’s democratic system.
Recall that within the week, Obi had said the judiciary is the biggest threat to the nation’s democracy — and not INEC.
The former Anambra governor said justice in Nigeria “goes to the highest bidder” and has become “commodified”.
“While the judiciary, today, still boasts of a few outstanding judges, there is an undeniable decline in our judicial system,” he said.
