INEC Is Filled With APC Members — Former Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Warns

Senator Kabiru Marafa, former coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Organisation in Zamfara State, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of losing its independence.

The ex-lawmaker, who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate, claims that many top officials in INEC are card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress. He warned that this development poses a serious threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

NaijaChoice News reports that Marafa made the allegations while reacting to the ongoing leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress. He spoke during a recent interview monitored across major platforms.

Marafa insisted that the appointments breach the law setting up INEC, which requires all officials to remain neutral and non-partisan. “The law establishing INEC provides that anybody that is to be appointed into the umpire must be neutral, non-partisan,” he stated.

He expressed zero confidence in the commission. According to him, the current situation makes it impossible for INEC to act fairly on sensitive issues, including the ADC leadership dispute.

The former senator criticised INEC’s handling of the ADC matter. He described the commission’s interpretation of court directives as biased and “laughable,” especially given the ruling party’s control of over 30 states and key federal institutions.

Marafa, who left the APC in August 2025 after accusing President Bola Tinubu of neglecting Zamfara despite the state’s support in the 2023 election, said the ruling party appears determined to avoid any real contest in 2027.

He questioned the proposed election timetable, arguing that the long gap between primaries and the general election makes little political sense. “It is quite unfortunate; it’s quite laughable that a party that boasts of 31 governors… doesn’t want to go into election with opponents,” he added.

The politician warned against any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Nigeria’s size and diversity, he said, make such a move impossible.

“You cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, railroad a country of nearly 300 million people into just one political party. It just cannot work,” Marafa declared.

He pointed out that even stronger and more experienced leaders in the past failed at similar efforts. Marafa expressed worry that current political actors have not learned from history.

“Anybody that tried to play God, God always has a way of showing human beings that God is God and human beings are human beings,” he concluded.

The remarks come amid heightened tension in the political space as parties begin early preparations for the next general elections. Observers say Marafa’s position reflects growing concerns among opposition figures about the level playing field ahead of 2027.