INEC Is an Umpire, Not a Mediator’ — Youth Congress Tells Parties

Leaders of civil society and youth organisations on Thursday threw their weight behind the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, urging political parties to resolve their internal disputes without distracting the electoral body ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at INEC headquarters during solidarity and a follow-up engagement after their recent press conference, the Executive Director of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), Ambassador Blessing Akinlosotu, said the council had declared solidarity with INEC because the persistent protests at its premises were unnecessary distractions.

“These are internal political issues that we expected to be resolved internally,” Akinlosotu said. “We have noticed leaders from different political parties — both the David Mark faction and the Nafiu Bala faction — staging day-in, day-out protests at INEC’s office. We see this as a distraction. Time is counting down. INEC has enormous work to do and needs the space to do it. Disrupting its activities daily is not healthy for the 2027 election.”

Also speaking, the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Babangida Isah, said Nigerian youths would not allow INEC to be dragged into partisan politics.

“We are here to stand as the voice of the voiceless, who are the majority of the youth constituency,” Isah said. “Political matters should be separated from INEC’s activities. INEC is an independent body. If you have a problem, if you have an internal crisis, sort it out and leave INEC alone. Since his appointment, the INEC chairman has been doing wonderfully well, working to strengthen our democracy.”

Isah commended President Bola Tinubu for “putting the right peg in the right hole” by appointing a chairman who, as a lawyer, understands the rule of law.

Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Youth Congress, Comrade Jethro Annum, described INEC as a regulatory umpire whose mandate is to oversee elections, not mediate party crises.

“INEC is an umpire in the electoral process of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The process has already kick-started. If parties have internal issues, they should resolve them internally, not overflog the polity and create an impression that does not exist,” Annum said. “The ADC is just one of 21 opposition parties. They should resolve their internal crisis rather than mobilising young people who are trying to better their lives for an issue that is not an issue.”

He urged young Nigerians to focus on their livelihoods instead of being drawn into political distractions.

Providing legal context, the Director of Programmes of the NCSCN, Maazi Oscar David Kalu, said the council stood by its findings and advisories.

“There are basic questions that set the records straight,” Kalu explained. “Was there an internal crisis in the ADC? Yes, as far back as mid-2025. Were matters taken to court? Yes — they took themselves to court. Is there any subsisting ruling on this matter? Again, yes — from the Court of Appeal, which ruled that _status quo ante bellum_ be retained, meaning the leadership structure before the crisis should remain.”

The groups collectively called on politicians to respect judicial pronouncements and allow INEC to concentrate on preparations for the 2027 elections.