Director of News at Arise News, Sumner Sambo, has advised President Bola Tinubu to refrain from defending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that it is not the president’s role to determine whether Nigerians view the electoral body as impartial.
Sambo made the remarks in reaction to President Tinubu’s comments on Tuesday, in which he defended INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections, dismissed concerns over the Commission’s neutrality, and accused opposition parties of making unfounded allegations against the electoral umpire.
The president spoke during a meeting with the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, at the State House in Abuja, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Responding to the bishops’ appeal for his administration to deliver free, fair, and credible elections in 2027 as a lasting legacy, Tinubu insisted that INEC has remained impartial and has not intimidated any political party or candidate.
> “INEC is neutral. They have never intimidated anyone. If political opponents are raising alarms, perhaps they are merely fearful of their own shadows and the uncertainty surrounding their affiliations, not me.”
Reacting to the president’s remarks, Sambo said on Arise News:
> “It is not the place of President Tinubu to tell Nigerians if INEC has been fair or not.
> “Nigerians need to see fairness from INEC. INEC needs to distance itself from the government or people close to the government so we do not have a situation where people misread pronouncements from the president.”
President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are widely regarded as the leading contenders for the 2027 presidential election.
