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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tokunbo Pearse, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of favouring the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), questioning the commission’s neutrality ahead of the next general election.
Pearse made the allegations while speaking on News Central’s Breakfast programme on Wednesday, arguing that INEC’s actions had raised concerns about whether opposition parties could freely participate in the electoral process.
#NigeriaDecided2027: “Amupitan, the INEC Chairman, works for the President. He has shown it through his actions that all he’s interested in is promoting the APC and demoting every other political party.”
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PDP Chieftain Tokunbo Pearse says no opposition party is safe under Nigeria’s current electoral system.
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) November 4, 2026
He questioned the independence of the commission, particularly its leadership, and alleged that INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, was working in the interest of President Bola Tinubu.
“You have a system whereby the president, who is running for office, is the one appointing the INEC chairman and the INEC commissioners. So he’s prejudiced already. Amupitan, the INEC chairman, works for the president,” Pearse said.
He accused the commission of promoting the APC while undermining opposition parties, insisting that no political party was secure under the current electoral arrangement.
“He has shown it through his actions that all he’s interested in is promoting APC and demoting every other political party. No party is safe in Nigeria today,” he said.
Pearse cited concerns surrounding the Labour Party and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging that uncertainty over party registration and candidates’ names on the ballot was creating difficulties for opposition groups.
“All the information we are getting today, you find your name on the ballot if you are NDC. Tomorrow, your name is not there. So nobody knows,” he said.
He also expressed concern about the eligibility of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other politicians who moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying INEC’s position on the timing of their resignation from their former parties could affect their chances of contesting.
“Till today, there’s no guarantee that Atiku and all the people who went to ADC will be on the ballot. Because all of a sudden, INEC is now saying, maybe you didn’t resign from the old party in time to join the new party. So you may not be a member of that party,” Pearse said.
He further alleged that the political crisis within the PDP was connected to efforts to prevent the party from presenting a presidential candidate.
According to him, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had made it clear that he would only reconcile with the party if it agreed not to field a presidential candidate.
“Wike has told us in the PDP that the only way that he will make peace with us is if we decide not to have a candidate for president,” he said.
“So don’t give Nigerians a choice. That’s all he’s saying.”
Pearse also claimed that President Tinubu’s political support was largely dependent on governors who needed his influence and resources to secure their electoral ambitions.
“There’s no support for Bola Tinubu in Nigeria. The only support he has is with the governors that he has bought, and the governors who are paying homage to him because their own election depends on it,” he said.
He alleged that the governors were backing Tinubu because they expected his influence to help them secure electoral victories through INEC.
“That’s why they’re doing everything to support Tinubu, because they know they need Tinubu. They need his money. They need his influence. They need his help to tell INEC to help them to win the election. That’s what INEC is,” Pearse said.
When the interviewer pointed out that INEC was constitutionally designated as an independent electoral commission, Pearse rejected the suggestion that its name reflected its actual conduct.
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“INEC is not independent. I just said it,” he responded.
He maintained that the commission should be judged by its conduct rather than its official designation.
“That’s the only name on the surface. Actions speak louder than words. We have seen INEC in action in every election. It’s not to be trusted,” Pearse said.
