African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has questioned the independence of Nigeria’s electoral commission, alleging that INEC is operating in the interest of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Nigeria’s 2027 election, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of functioning as an extension of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sowore’s allegation comes as political parties and candidates intensify preparations for the January 2027 presidential election, with concerns over the credibility and independence of electoral institutions again becoming part of the political debate.
The statement attributed to Sowore says: “INEC is an appendage of the ruling party, APC. They are working for APC.”
The allegation represents Sowore’s political assessment of the electoral commission and has not been established as a factual finding by INEC or an independent investigation.
Sowore raises concerns over INEC’s independence
Sowore has repeatedly criticised Nigeria’s electoral system and questioned whether the country’s institutions are capable of delivering elections in which voters can have confidence.
His latest position comes as the 2027 election cycle moves forward, with INEC having published the final list of presidential candidates and their running mates.
The commission's final list, released in September, contains 18 presidential candidates from different political parties. Among them are President Bola Tinubu of the APC, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Anambra State governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Sowore of the AAC.
The presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6.
Sowore's criticism therefore comes at a time when INEC is responsible for administering an election in which he is himself a presidential candidate.
Similar concerns have been raised within Sowore’s political camp
A similar criticism of INEC was expressed in August by Onyinye Gandhi-Chukwunyere, an activist and lawyer identified by Independent as Sowore's spokesperson.
In an interview about the 2027 election, Gandhi-Chukwunyere said the electoral machinery that presided over the 2023 election remained in place.
He described INEC as having been “clearly an appendage of the ruling party” while discussing what he characterized as irregularities surrounding the 2023 election.
The spokesperson's remarks indicate that concerns about INEC's independence are part of the broader position being expressed by Sowore's campaign and the AAC as the 2027 election approaches.
However, those allegations remain political claims rather than established findings that INEC is controlled by the APC.
INEC remains Nigeria’s electoral commission
INEC is constitutionally responsible for organising and supervising Nigeria's elections.
The commission is tasked with registering voters and political parties, conducting elections, announcing results and regulating important aspects of the electoral process.
Its role places it at the centre of political competition between the governing party and opposition parties.
That position also means the commission frequently faces criticism from candidates and political parties, particularly when parties disagree with decisions involving candidate lists, party nominations, election procedures or results.
The U.S. State Department's historical human-rights reporting on Nigeria has described INEC as the independent electoral body responsible for overseeing elections and regulating the process, while also documenting concerns about intimidation, electoral misconduct and the role of security agencies in previous elections.
Those historical concerns do not, by themselves, establish Sowore's current allegation that INEC is working for the APC.
2027 election preparations are already underway
The latest dispute comes as preparations for the 2027 elections move into a more advanced stage.
INEC published its final presidential candidate list in September after political parties completed their primaries and submitted their candidates.
The list includes 18 presidential candidates, with Tinubu representing the APC, Atiku representing the ADC, Obi representing the NDC and Sowore representing the AAC.
The commission has also published candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives.
The publication of the final list is one of the major milestones ahead of the January presidential election because it establishes the candidates whose names will appear in the electoral process.
For opposition candidates such as Sowore, the credibility of the institution organising the election is therefore a central issue.
Sowore has contested presidential elections before
Sowore is not entering the 2027 race for the first time.
He previously contested the Nigerian presidency in 2019 and 2023 under the AAC.
His political platform has generally focused on challenging the established political system and demanding institutional reforms.
He founded Sahara Reporters before becoming directly involved in electoral politics and has remained a prominent critic of successive Nigerian administrations.
For the 2027 election, INEC's final list confirms him as the AAC presidential candidate.
His latest comments therefore form part of a longer pattern of criticism of Nigeria's political institutions rather than an isolated complaint made during the current campaign.
Concerns over the 2023 election continue to shape the 2027 debate
The 2023 presidential election remains an important reference point in discussions about the credibility of Nigeria's electoral system.
The election was won by Bola Tinubu of the APC, according to the official results declared by INEC.
Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar challenged the outcome through legal proceedings, while different opposition groups continued to criticise aspects of the electoral process.
Sowore's campaign and political allies have also continued to refer to the 2023 election when discussing their concerns about INEC.
Gandhi-Chukwunyere, in the August interview, described the 2023 election as having involved what he called massive irregularities and a compromised process. Those descriptions are the position of Sowore's political camp and should be distinguished from independently established findings.
INEC faces competing demands from political parties
The electoral commission is likely to face heightened scrutiny as the 2027 election approaches.
Candidates from opposition parties will be watching decisions involving campaign rules, ballot access, voter registration, election technology, result management and the conduct of polling officials.
At the same time, the ruling APC and other political parties have their own interests in ensuring that their candidates remain eligible and that election rules are implemented consistently.
The commission's decisions can therefore generate political controversy even where the underlying issue involves administrative or legal requirements.
Recent developments have already demonstrated the intensity of the political environment surrounding INEC.
The commission's final list of presidential candidates generated extensive public attention because it formally confirmed the candidates who will contest the presidential election.
Electoral reforms remain part of the wider debate
Questions about INEC's independence are also connected to broader debates about electoral reform in Nigeria.
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), in an update published September 17, noted that attention around the 2027 election had included amendments to Nigeria's Electoral Act.
According to the organisation, the amended framework includes provisions concerning electronic transmission of election results. ICNL also reported that civil-society groups had campaigned for reforms aimed at strengthening the electoral process.
The debate over electronic transmission and other electoral safeguards reflects wider efforts to address concerns that emerged from previous elections.
For candidates such as Sowore, however, institutional reforms are only meaningful if the bodies implementing them are perceived as independent.
Sowore’s allegation remains contested
Sowore's statement that INEC is an appendage of the APC is a serious allegation about the independence of Nigeria's electoral administration.
There is currently no evidence in the sources reviewed establishing as a fact that INEC is controlled by the APC or is formally operating on behalf of the ruling party.
INEC remains the statutory electoral commission responsible for administering the 2027 elections, and its final candidate list includes politicians from both the ruling party and opposition parties, including Sowore himself.
The allegation should therefore be understood in the context of Sowore's political criticism of the electoral system and his concerns about the credibility of the upcoming election.
As the campaign period progresses, the commission's decisions and the responses of political parties will remain important indicators of how the 2027 electoral process is conducted.
For now, Sowore has made his position clear: he believes INEC is not sufficiently independent from the ruling APC and has publicly questioned whether the commission can administer a credible election.
Whether those concerns are borne out by the conduct of the 2027 election will depend on the commission's actions, the behaviour of political parties and candidates, the enforcement of electoral rules and the evidence available throughout the electoral process.
