Peter Obi, 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has accused the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, of acting in the interest of the presidency.
In an interview teaser released by News Central TV on Thursday, Obi said the electoral commission was heavily influenced by the president, who appointed its leadership.
Asked whether he agreed with opposition calls for the removal of the current INEC chairman over allegations of partisanship, Obi criticised the conduct of electoral officials under successive administrations.
“If anybody can tell me that we can use professors to run our election and it will be worse, I would have said capital no,” he said.
Obi recalled that he had previously written to the current INEC chairman, warning that public office is temporary.
“I wrote to the present INEC chairman, remember, you will not be here forever,” he said.
Asked directly whether INEC was acting as an agent of the president, Obi responded: “Yes, completely.”
“Whatever he’s doing today, he’s acting the script written by the man who employed him,” he added.
During the interview, Obi also defended Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over past comments in which the former governor described himself as more qualified than the president.
“I don’t think his claim was wrong,” Obi said.
The former Anambra governor argued that Nigeria currently requires practical leadership and competence rather than academic qualifications alone.
“For what Nigeria needs today, Nigeria needs a well-created person. I’ve built businesses from scratch,” he said.
Obi also spoke on disability inclusion in government, saying many Nigerians were already disadvantaged by the country’s current conditions.
“All of us have disabilities,” he said.
“What they are doing now, we don’t even know. Everybody in Nigeria is disabled.”
