Political Activist, Entrepreneur, and Human and Social Rights Campaigner, Aisha Yesufu has condemned the INEC’s decision to delist the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), describing the move as both illegal and brazen, and questioning INEC’s authority to interpret court judgments at its discretion.
Following INEC’s delisting of ADC leadership, Yesufu, while speaking with ARISE NEWS in an interview on Monday said:
“For me, I couldn’t believe how audacious INEC was in doing something that is so illegal or should I say illegitimate. Because in delisting—when did INEC become a court that gives its own judgment? That shocked me. It wasn’t even in any way trying to hide things or work in a way that people don’t see how glaring it is that they’re doing something that is wrong. The audacity to do something that is so wrong in such a brazen manner honestly is something that really surprised me. I didn’t know they would go down that low, but it seems that’s what they’ve done.
“There’s nothing in the Court of Appeal judgment that said delist the leadership or remove the leadership. And if you’re talking about going back to the status quo ante, there was never a time that ADC did not have leadership. So on what basis did INEC do what it did? Does INEC now just interpret court judgments the way it wants to and not the way the court has written them?,” she quizzed.
Yesufu insisted there is no legitimate “divide” regarding the court’s judgment, arguing that the ADC has always had leadership and INEC has no authority to override or reinterpret court ruling.
“No, there’s no side of the divide. The judgment is clear. It says go back to a certain position before the war. At that position before the war, was there leadership in ADC or not? Is there any time in the history of ADC that it didn’t have any leadership? I don’t think there was. So on what basis did INEC come out to do what it wants to do? INEC does not have the right to have a position,” she noted.
Yesufu accused the APC and President Tinubu of being afraid of the ADC because of the APC’s dwindling popularity and the ADC’s growing support.
“The people who say they won the election in 2023. And who are those people? APC and Mr. Tinubu. Because they know they didn’t win the last time. And even right now, their popularity has dwindled more than ever. They have gotten as many governors as they want, but yet they are losing more and more millions of Nigerians every day. I think that’s the fear that is out there,” she said.
She condemned attempts to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, emphasising that democracy requires a strong opposition.
“Everything they’re doing is to ensure that Nigeria becomes a one-party state. We can’t have that. You can’t have a democracy that people died for and you come all of a sudden and take us back to the era of ‘who the cap fits.’ No, there’s no ‘who the cap fits’ here. What we have is a democracy, and in a democracy, there has to be opposition,” she declared.
Criticising INEC and its leadership, Yesufu argued that the commission has abandoned impartiality, acting as a stooge for the APC.
“For INEC to be so brazen and Professor Amupitan to do what he did—it’s unbelievable. Here you have someone who is not just a lawyer, he’s a SAN, he’s a professor. That is someone who you would think would do everything by the letter of the law, coming out to behave in such a rascally manner. It’s shocking that someone who is supposed to be a professor of law would actually do what he had done. INEC should remember that there is an independence in the ‘I,’ even though right now they have shown in their actions that the only independence they have is the ‘I’ in its name. He should remember that and stay as an institution and not be a stooge for certain people. INEC should be in a position where they are unbiased, they stand as umpire, and not a voice or an arm of APC and invariably Mr. Tinubu,” she warned.
On the schedule of the ADC’s congresses and primaries, Yesufu declined to comment directly, leaving details to the party leadership.
“It’s not for me to affirm; I will leave that for the leadership of the party to speak on.”
She however argued that INEC is deliberately undermining the ADC, blocking its ability to field candidates despite formally notifying the commission of its congresses.
“But you can see in the way and manner that everything has been structured, it goes in the way that everything is being done to disenfranchise the ADC. You see that the INEC chairman did have an interview, sat down, reclined on the chair to talk about the fact that what they’re going to do—in a way that preempts a decision it seems they have already made. He has already taken sides, and that’s the thing that should concern every Nigerian—and not just every Nigerian, every lover of democracy across the world.
“Because we are seeing deliberately the real opposition party, the major opposition party in Nigeria today, is being disenfranchised. They’re looking for everything to ensure that they do not field a candidate. That’s not what democracy is all about. One thing that we must understand also is the fact that our party, ADC has written to INEC, informing INEC of the congresses that are going to come up. INEC acknowledged the receipt of that. This whole turnaround is something that is absolutely worrisome, most especially as we go into the primaries. There’s a short time within which the parties are supposed to present candidates. We know what the rules are in Nigeria—nobody can run on their own; people have to be fielded by parties. Right now, ADC is being denied that opportunity. That’s what they want to do, but we would not allow that to happen,” Yesufu stated.
Insisting that it is not merely an accusation, Yesufu said INEC is actively obstructing ADC within a short timeframe.
“I don’t think it’s something that is alleged that the ruling party or INEC is trying to do. INEC is already doing it. We are seeing the way in which they are stopping ADC from going on with something that has a very short window of time.”
Adding, Yesufu said the ADC is taking all lawful steps to challenge the commission’s actions, relying on the courts to intervene before key dates.
“The ADC, of course, is putting in a lot of things in place and working within the ambit of the law to ensure that this whole illegality is not allowed to stand. The courts are there also to ensure that there’s a hearing that comes up before the actual date to interpret this particular ruling that INEC has decided to bring its own counter-ruling to. So the party, the ADC, is putting everything it can within the ambit of the law to ensure that this disenfranchisement is not allowed to stand,” she maintained.
The political activist underscored that INEC must act independently, cautioning that the removal of the ADC leadership seems driven by external threats rather than the law.
“My thinking is that one institution should be independent.
“There are reports where you see that the INEC chairman was threatened into making the decision that he made in removing the leadership of ADC. Allegedly, that’s why I said reports. And the reports are there; they are public. It’s not something that I’m the only one who has information on.”
Yesufu alleged that INEC officials have been bribed and that public reports indicate corruption, including land and money exchanges, warning that such actions threaten Nigeria’s hard-won democracy and accountability.
“You’ve also seen reports that INEC officials were bribed with monies, some up to $50,000. The reports are out there. You’ve also seen where they’re saying that lands have been given. And you see the judiciary also—a judiciary where there’s no independence. The judiciary has turned itself into the playing tool of corrupt politicians, and that’s not what it should be.
“But when you see the institutions and the judiciary have turned themselves into a weapon of oppression, a willing tool of oppression against opposition parties, then that’s something that worries us and the democracy of our country. This democracy, by the way, many people died for it for us to have what we have today. We cannot have a few people come and destroy it just because they want to hang on to power that they are not deserving of,” Yesufu said.
Responding to claims that attempts to intimidate Peter Obi are unfounded, Yesufu noted that his continued freedom does not negate the pressures he faces, pointing out that in several states, including her home state of Edo, authorities have actively discouraged or threatened him from entering.
“He’s still walking free because he is determined to walk free and he has not allowed himself to be intimidated. We’ve seen several states where he has been told not to even come into the state. We’ve seen sitting governors threatening him and asking him not to enter. I will give you an example: Edo. I’m from Edo State, and the current Edo State governor—it was reported while he had the audacity to say that he shouldn’t come into Edo, whatever happens to him. And we saw the last time he was in Edo.”
She further emphasised that the notion of restricting Obi’s movement within Nigeria is both illegal and unconstitutional.
“A state governor has no right in telling anyone not to enter Edo State. We’re all Nigerians. Especially as a Nigerian everywhere in Nigeria, we have the right to enter anywhere. We don’t have to tell anybody that we are coming. It’s people who are not Nigerians that need visas to come here. We don’t need visas to go to any place,” she noted.
Yesufu reaffirmed her unwavering stance on Peter Obi’s one-term pledge, stressing that her support is contingent on his commitment to it.
“Absolutely, I stand by that. If Mr. Peter Obi gets into office and decides to do more than one term, I, Aisha Yesufu—and I repeat it here—I will oppose him with everything in me. Because he gave his word. If he has given his word, he has to stick to his word.”
Adding, Yesufu explained that Obi’s commitment to a single term is rooted in his empathy and desire to leave a meaningful legacy.
“One of the things for me that makes me believe so much in Mr. Peter Obi is the fact that, one, he has empathy, and also the fact that he wants to leave a legacy. For me, sitting down with him is seeing someone wanting a Nigeria that not only works, but that people will remember him 100 years from now. He then becomes the father of modern-day Nigeria. This is something I see: someone who is passionate to make a difference in Nigeria,” she said.
Speaking on the defection of Kwankwaso to the ADC, Yesufu described it as a calculated and impactful move that has strengthened the party’s presence and credibility.
“Coming to the issue of Kwankwaso coming into ADC, I think it’s such a strategic move. It has given the party, the ADC more visibility and more bite,” she noted.
The political activist asserted that the struggles of opposition parties in Nigeria are deliberate rather than coincidental, citing INEC’s inconsistent actions as evidence of bias.
“First of all, what is happening is not coincidental. It is orchestrated. I think it comes to the question of whether INEC itself as a body is actually doing what it is doing. If all the parties that INEC has approved are all having problems, then we need to ask INEC what it is that you’re doing.”
She framed the 2027 elections as a battle for the nation’s future, describing Nigeria as being “at war” for the rights and safety of its citizens.
“Nigeria is indeed at war. 2027 is war. Like I said before, we’re fighting for our lives and for the soul of our nation. It’s not a joke. We are being taken out in our own country; people are being killed every day. We must ensure that for 2027, some people do not think they own this Nigeria more than any other Nigerian. I’ll leave you with a quote: no Nigerian is more Nigerian than any Nigerian. This is our country; Nigerians must fight for our country,” she reiterated.
On voter revalidation, Yesufu criticised INEC’s timing, arguing that updating the over-inflated register so close to the election was impractical.
“I don’t know what they were thinking about when they decided just nine months to an election that they were going to start a revalidation. Yes, people have asked for revalidation over the years, but the timing is absolutely wrong. They should wait until after the 2027 election for them to start that whole revalidation. The reason why we asked for the revalidation was because we have a register that is over-inflated. Of course, we’ve been calling for that, but you can’t do that nine months to an election. They should give at least two to three years for that,” she concluded.
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