By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin
The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has said the party will not rely solely on trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2027 general elections, insisting that it will take steps to protect its votes.
Abdullahi stated this on Wednesday in Ilorin while speaking with journalists during the party’s walk-to-rule exercise aimed at sensitising residents of the Kwara State capital about the ADC.
He said while some officials within INEC remain committed to conducting credible elections, the party would not base its electoral strategy on trust alone.
“With due respect, INEC still has people that are committed to doing the right thing, but we are not going to run our election based on trust,” he said.
The ADC spokesman added that the party had trusted the electoral process in previous elections but was disappointed with the outcome, stressing that it would defend its votes in 2027.
“We know what they are capable of doing. We trusted them in 2023 and we saw what happened. We are not going to trust them with our votes this time around,” he said.
On how the party intends to protect its votes, Abdullahi said, “We are not going to tell you, but that is what we are going to do if we must win this election.”
Speaking on the walk-to-rule exercise, the ADC chieftain said members initially had concerns about its success due to limited resources compared with other political parties that could mobilise large crowds.
According to him, the turnout exceeded expectations, as many supporters walked about 13 kilometres from Adeita Roundabout in Ilorin to the party’s state secretariat in the Basin area.
He said the development showed that the party had attracted genuine support from residents and demonstrated that the ADC could provide an alternative political platform for Kwarans ahead of 2027.
Abdullahi urged residents of the state to support the ADC and vote for its candidates, saying the party would focus on improving socio-economic conditions, particularly in rural communities.
On the party’s Kwara governorship candidate, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, a two-term member of the House of Representatives, Abdullahi said he possesses greater experience and pedigree compared with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said the fact that both candidates are from Kwara North gives residents of the senatorial district an opportunity to choose based on experience, competence and track record.
Commenting on the performance of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Abdullahi said the governor could have achieved more if he had carried more people along and paid closer attention to the needs of residents.
He, however, said the governor was not his enemy and that he would not join those seeking to engage him in political battles.
“For me, I will focus on governance. I believe Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq would have done a lot better than what he has done, but because some people are fighting him and looking for people to join them in attacking him, I am not going to join them.
“Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is not my enemy. I am not going to join anybody to fight their political battle,” he said.
Abdullahi added that his criticism of the governor was based on governance issues and not a personal attack.
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