Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, has voiced concerns over Nigeria’s electoral system, asserting that any 2027 presidential hopeful who overlooks the need for reforming the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not serious about their ambitions.
Amadi’s comments came after INEC declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the Edo State governorship election. He expressed his views on social media platform X, stating, “Anyone thinking of being the President of Nigeria in 2027 and not thinking of disbanding this @inecnigeria is not serious.”
His remarks align with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) stance, as they rejected the Edo election results, accusing INEC of manipulating votes in certain local councils. Tony Iyoha, the PDP’s state collation agent, claimed that results from Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha were deliberately delayed to alter the final outcome.
Amadi, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has long advocated for reforms within INEC to ensure a more transparent electoral process. He also criticized presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Peter Obi (Labour Party) for failing to address the deep-seated issues within the country’s election management system.
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