ADC: Kachikwu Accuses INEC Chairman of Targeting Tinubu in Leadership Recognition

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the last general election, Dumebi Kachikwu, has accused the outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, of using his final days in office to spite President Bola Tinubu.

Kachikwu, who spoke on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme on Thursday, said Yakubu’s decision to recognise the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC was a deliberate move to “give the president a big middle finger.”

INEC had earlier in the week published the names of Mark and his team on its official portal as the legitimate leadership of the ADC, despite pending court cases on the matter.

Kachikwu condemned the move, describing Yakubu as “one of the worst and biggest mistakes Nigeria has made.” He argued that the electoral umpire should have refrained from taking such a position until the courts concluded their deliberations.

“I have never had any faith in the INEC Chairman’s ability to handle this matter fairly,” Kachikwu said. “I knew that, as he was preparing to leave office, he would take a step to register his displeasure with the president. That is exactly what he has done.”

The ADC chieftain expressed confidence that the judiciary would resolve the leadership tussle within the party, stressing that Nigerians seeking a new political direction were being made victims of power games between political actors.

“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” he said. “Unfortunately, our party, which is focused on rebuilding Nigeria, has become the casualty of these battles.”