The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has alleged that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, worked in favour of his political opponents during the 2023 general election.
Obi made the allegation during an exclusive interview with ARISE News, where he said Nigerians were overly trusting of INEC’s assurances that the 2023 election would be conducted freely and credibly.
According to the former Anambra State governor, Yakubu had assured Nigerians and the international community that the electoral commission would conduct a transparent election.
However, Obi alleged that the INEC chairman acted contrary to those assurances and worked for the opposition.
“In 2023, we took things for granted. We believed INEC. We believed what they said they would do.
“The INEC Chairman convinced the world that he would do the right thing, when, in fact, he was working for the opposition,” Obi said.
He added that his approach would be different ahead of the 2027 presidential election, stressing that Nigerians should not simply rely on assurances from electoral authorities.
“This time, we will only trust them by doing the right thing ourselves,” he said.
Obi, however, did not provide specific evidence in the remarks reported to substantiate his allegation against the INEC chairman.
His comments come amid renewed political discussions over the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process and preparations for the 2027 general election.
