'INEC is a department of APC' — Kenneth Okonkwo alleges electoral bias

Nigerian lawyer and Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately undermining opposition efforts in the country’s political landscape.

Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, June 9, Okonkwo claimed that INEC is effectively operating as a department of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a statement that underscores growing concerns about electoral fairness in Nigeria.

“The INEC is a department of APC,” Okonkwo alleged, warning that the electoral body is placing “a lot of roadblocks for the opposition and engages in a lot of obstacles.”

He insisted that the current system is rigged against genuine political competition, particularly for groups seeking to challenge the APC-led government.

Okonkwo also addressed rumours that a coalition of opposition forces, spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, is already facing internal cracks.

He dismissed these claims, asserting that the group remains united in its mission to unseat President Bola Tinubu.

“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?” Okonkwo said.

Okonkwo gives fresh update on coalition

According to Okonkwo, all political heavyweights involved in the coalition currently share one objective: to remove the APC-led government from power.

“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,” he noted

Okonkwo further revealed that the coalition is considering forming a new political party but remains wary of INEC’s tactics.

“If we are in a nation where the rule of law is guaranteed under this kind of INEC, it would have been preferred to have a new party altogether.

“But when INEC has the tendencies of delaying what is apparent, you can’t throw all your eggs in one basket,” he said.

His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of INEC’s conduct ahead of the 2027 elections, as opposition parties weigh their options in what many see as a high-stakes political contest.