The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Senate to reject the nomination of Professor Mustapha Aliu as a national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over his alleged family relationship with Governor Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto state.
This was as the party said the relationship raised concerns about the nominee’s impartiality and could undermine public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the nomination as a matter requiring serious scrutiny before the Senate approves it.
“The North-West nominee to INEC, Prof. Mustapha Aliu, is the maternal brother of Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, the APC candidate in the upcoming governorship election,” Abdullahi said.
He argued that the alleged relationship raised questions about the credibility of the electoral commission, particularly as political parties prepare for upcoming elections.
“Think about the implications. This is a relationship that raises serious questions about impartiality, public confidence and the credibility of the electoral process,” he added.
The ADC also cited Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that electoral officials must remain independent of partisan political interests.
“Section 156(1)(a) of the Constitution prohibits membership of a political party by an INEC member. The principle is clear: electoral referees must not only be impartial, they must be seen to be impartial,” Abdullahi said.
The opposition party called on the Senate to examine the circumstances surrounding Aliu’s nomination and reject it over concerns about impartiality.
“We join all well meaning Nigerians in calling on the Senate to subject this nomination to rigorous scrutiny and reject the nomination based on partiality,” the statement added.
The ADC maintained that the credibility of INEC ahead of the 2027 elections depended on public confidence in the independence of its officials.
“Nigeria cannot afford an electoral umpire whose impartiality is in doubt. The credibility of INEC in 2027 demands answers before confirmation, not explanations after the election,” Abdullahi said.
President Bola Tinubu had nominated four national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners to fill vacancies at INEC arising from the expiration of existing tenures.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President also reappointed Dr Bala Bila as the national commissioner representing the North-East.
The new national commissioners include Aliu, who is expected to replace Professor Abdullahi Zuru as the North-West representative, and Bashir Muhammed Umar, who will replace Professor Muhammad Adamu as the North-Central representative.
Tinubu also nominated the resident electoral commissioner in Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, as the new South-West national commissioner. She is expected to replace Professor Cornelius Ajayi, whose tenure expires on October 24.
The two nominees for resident electoral commissioner positions are retired permanent secretary Dr Samuel Akinjide Akinleye, representing Ekiti State, and Zahradden Basiru Sanusi from Jigawa State, who will replace Professor Saidu Ahmed Babura.
President Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite the confirmation process in view of the forthcoming general elections scheduled for January 2027.