Prominent Nollywood actor, turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is effectively operating as a department of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He pointedly said the nation’s electoral umpire is deliberately undermining the efforts of opposition in the country’s political landscape by creating a lot of roadblocks and obstacles against opposition parties in the country.
Okonkwo, who stated these on Monday, June 9, 2025 when he featured on Arise Television programme, said that there are growing concerns about electoral fairness in Nigeria.
He noted that the current system has already been rigged against genuine political competition, particularly for groups seeking to challenge the APC-led federal government.
Okonkwo debunked rumours that the coalition of opposition forces being led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, is already facing internal cracks, stressing that the group remains united in its mission to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
In the words of Okonkwo; “Well, a coalition is a group of interested parties that come together for a common goal. Nigerians like formulating stories, which I call market talk. How can something be in disarray when it has not yet started?”
He said that all the political heavyweights involved in the coalition currently share one objective which is to remove the APC-led federal government from power in 2027 in order to save Nigeria and Nigerians from sufferings.
Okonkwo further said; “People are talking, and some opponents are already selling to you that it’s in disarray. What we have now is common priorities, we don’t have individual differences because the time for individual ambitions has not commenced”.
Okonkwo said the coalition is considering forming a new political party but, wary of the antics and tactics of INEC, saying that if Nigeria was to be a country where the rule of law is guaranteed, the coalition would have preferred to have a new political party, but seriously concerned about the present INEC.
According to him; “But when INEC has the tendencies of delaying what is apparent, you can’t throw all your eggs in one basket”.
Okonkwo spoke against the backdrop of the growing scrutiny of INEC’s conduct ahead of the 2027 general elections just as opposition parties weigh their options in what most people see as a high-stakes political contest.
