|By Chinwendu Nwani
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Imo State chapter, has raised an alarm over the alleged sponsorship of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), 27 local government electoral officers and other officials on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem by the Imo State Government.
The party said the alleged development poses a grave threat to the independence and credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system in the state.
ADC made the allegation in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Imo State spokesperson, Chief Macdonald Amadi, and made available to journalists in Owerri. The party said it was compelled by conscience and civic duty to alert the Imo public, security agencies, human rights bodies, civil society groups, international democratic institutions and donor agencies.
According to the statement, INEC was established to remain impartial and faithful to the Constitution, not to be indebted to political authorities. It stressed that the electoral body was designed to be sovereign and insulated from political influence.
The party warned that if the reported sponsorship is true, it represents a serious erosion of the integrity, independence and moral authority of INEC. ADC argued that such an action sends a dangerous signal that electoral umpires meant to protect the people’s mandate have instead aligned themselves with those in power.
ADC further described the alleged sponsorship as a self-inflicted vote of no confidence by the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, noting that public trust collapses when an umpire is perceived to have accepted favours from one side.
The party cautioned that democracy does not always collapse through force, but often through subtle compromises and institutional silence. It warned that early signs of democratic failure are frequently ignored until irreversible damage occurs.
ADC also declared that if democracy suffers any setback in Imo State, INEC should not claim innocence, insisting that electoral neutrality must be protected at all costs.
The party called on Nigerian security agencies, human rights organisations, civil society institutions and the international community to urgently investigate the allegation and take steps to safeguard the neutrality of Nigeria’s electoral institutions.
It maintained that democracy is sustained by strong systems and defended by credible institutions, warning that when such institutions begin to falter, the foundation of the state is threatened.
ADC stressed that its position goes beyond partisan interest, describing the issue as a national concern that touches on the soul of elections and the future of Imo State.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
