ADC group pulls out of Edo local elections, shares reasons

A group from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State, led by Kennedy Odion, has pulled out of the local government elections set for Saturday. They pointed to worries about "the credibility and independence of the electoral process" as the main reason for their withdrawal.

Osagiede Osaze, the group's spokesman, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin. He mentioned that they had specific issues with the election timetable.

"We have also demanded that the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) show full independence in how they run the election," he added.

Osaze explained that these concerns were brought up during a meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Council with EDSIEC Chairman, Jonathan Aifuobhokhan. During this meeting, political parties talked about how to prepare for the elections.

He said the faction told the commission that the timetable for the elections did not give enough time for parties to prepare according to the electoral guidelines. He also asked for guarantees that the election would be fair and open, allowing all political parties a fair chance.

Osaze stated that the faction’s Chairman, Mr Odion, decided to keep the group out of the elections because he felt it would not give equal chances to all parties involved.

"There is no point in joining an election where the outcome has already been decided before it takes place," Mr Osaze said.

He made it clear that this decision only applies to the local government elections. It will not stop the party from taking part in future elections, like the governorship and others in 2027.

Osaze stressed that the ADC is still committed to taking part in democracy. He noted that their withdrawal is meant to highlight the need for credible elections.

He added that the faction expects EDSIEC to properly manage the election materials, ensure transparent voting, accurately count the results, and declare the winners fairly.

The Peoples Democratic Party has also announced that they will boycott the election.

The local government elections are scheduled for Saturday, 11 July.

NAN could not get a quick response from the EDSIEC chairman about this report.