The coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged Nigerians not to judge the party by its showing in last month’s by-elections across 16 constituencies.
The polls, held on Saturday, August 16, to fill vacant seats due to deaths or resignations after the 2023 general elections, produced no wins for the ADC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner in 12 of the 16 contests across nine states. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won two seats in Anambra, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took one seat in Oyo, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) secured one seat in Kano.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi blamed the party’s performance on timing and a lack of preparedness.
READ ALSO: By-Elections Rocked by Violence, Vote-Buying Allegations Across States
“We’ve explained it, we’ve issued a statement, we’ve talked about it several times. For us, the election happened less than a month after we came into the party. Most of the candidates, we didn’t even know them, and that’s why we said we cannot judge the ADC by that,” Abdullahi said. He added that the party was still transitioning to its settled leadership when the by-elections took place and urged that the outcome not be read as a definitive measure of the ADC’s strength. “There are other elections coming, and we will be ready for those,” he said.
In an earlier reaction to the results, the ADC attributed its poor showing to widespread violence, vote-buying and other irregularities it alleged were perpetrated by the ruling party. The party accused opponents of ballot-box snatching, voter intimidation, violence and alleged failures of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
