The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, David Mark, has warned that the party will comply with electoral rules but will resist any attempt to manipulate the 2027 general elections or rig it out of the contest.
Mark issued the warning on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the governing council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola (retd.), at the ADC national headquarters.
Mark said the ADC was prepared to abide by the rules governing the elections and the party’s own code of conduct, but would not accept electoral manipulation.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of good conduct as a political party. We will play by the rules. But we will not accept rigging or allow ourselves to be rigged out.
“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy,” he said.
He added that the party would comply with INEC’s guidelines as well as the provisions of its Orange Book, which sets out the party’s code of conduct and governance principles.
The former Senate President had previously warned against the use of state institutions to manipulate the 2027 elections, saying the credibility of the polls must be protected.
The Council of the Wise, as the governing council is known, was at the party secretariat as part of its ongoing engagement with political parties and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during the visit, Ariwoola said the centre was seeking the commitment of political parties and their candidates to peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.
He also urged the ADC leadership to ensure that its candidates and supporters complied with the rules of the Independent National Electoral Commission and avoided conduct capable of triggering political violence.
The latest warning came as the Savannah Centre intensifies consultations with political actors and other stakeholders ahead of the elections.
The Council of the Wise, chaired by Ariwoola, was reconstituted in June with a mandate to promote peaceful, free and credible elections and engage key institutions and political actors.
The council’s recent engagements have included meetings with presidential candidates and other political stakeholders, with repeated calls for adherence to electoral rules, issue-based campaigns and the prevention of violence and hate speech.
Ariwoola’s delegation to the ADC included members of the Council of the Wise, among them Professors Abdullahi Shehu and Azeez Dankano, Executive Director of the Centre, Amb Sani Bala, Mr Tunji Lardner and Amb Godswill Ighali.
The centre had earlier said the Council of the Wise would engage President Bola Tinubu, INEC leadership, political parties, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups and other stakeholders ahead of the elections.
Source: punchng.com
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