•Utomi, Ezekwesili and Bugaje
Leaders of the Movement For Credible Elections have announced dates to lead Nigerians on zonal and national town hall rallies to protest what they refer to as one man rule allegedly planned to be foisted on the country by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The opposition leaders disclosed this in a statement issued today after a press conference held in Lagos and made available to The Frontier.
According to the statement jointly signed by Dr Usman Bugaje, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Amb Nkoyo Toyo, Femi Falana SAN, Prof Pat Utomi and 27 others, the rally has been scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 9 to Monday, April 27, 2026.
“…The MCE views the statement of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC yesterday withdrawing the recognition of the leadership of African Democratic Congress, ADC, including David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, Chairman and Secretary respectively, as a malicious attempt to decapitate the ADC and the opposition in general, in ensuring that none of the leading Presidential Aspirants in Nigeria gets on the ballot of the 2027 elections,” said MCE.
“We reject INECs Electoral Banditry on the opposition and multi party democracy in Nigeria!
“We reject the manipulation of INEC and the Judiciary by the Tinubu Administration. We call all well meaning Nigerians to fight and resist this plot to entrench one man rule in Nigeria!
“We call for the immediate resignation of the current INEC Chairman and his team who have become errand boys of the Tinubu Administration.
“We demand for a comprehensive Electoral Reform which will guarantee free, fair and credible elections in 2027!, the group said.
Consequently, MCE said it is mobilising Nigerians for the said rally, being the vanguard of the people.
“However, as the vanguard of the popular aspiration of Nigerians for credible elections in 2027, the MCE will be launching a nationwide mobilization for a well coordinated mass resistance to the growing despotism and electoral conspiracy against the Nigerian people. To this end the MCE shall be embarking on Zonal and National Town Hall Rallies as follows:
1. North East Zone: Thursday, 9th April 2026 in Gombe
2. North West: Monday, 13th April, 2026 in Sokoto or Kano
3. North Central: Wednesday, 15th April, 2026 in Jos
4. South South: Friday, 17th April, 2026 in Calabar or Warri
5. South East: Tuesday, 21st April 2026 in Enugu or Anambra
6. South West: Thursday, 24th April, 2026 in Ibadan or Lagos
7. National – Abuja: Monday, 27th April, 2026.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW (Unedited):
TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE MOVEMENT FOR CREDIBLE ELECTIONS, MCE HELD ON THURSDAY, 2ND APRIL, 2027 IN VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS
INEC Hatchet Job Against Opposition Parties: Assault on Nigeria’s Democracy.
2027 Elections Endangered by APC – INEC Alliance
…….MCE Set to Embark on Nationwide Rallies and Marches Against One Man Rule
Movement for Credible Elections, MCE is quite disturbed by the emerging alliance between the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, a Section of the Nigerian Judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, an unethical Combo which is poised disenfranchise and exclude legitimate Presidential Contestants and Political Parties from being on the ballot in the forthcoming 2027 general elections in Nigeria
It’s against this background that the MCE views the statement of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC yesterday withdrawing the recognition of the leadership of African Democratic Congress, ADC, including David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, Chairman and Secretary respectively, as a malicious attempt to decapitate the ADC and the opposition in general, in ensuring that none of the leading Presidential Aspirants in Nigeria gets on the ballot of the 2027 elections.
For instance INEC its statement claimed to rely on an Order of the Court of Appeal which directed that the status quo in ADC be maintained. But notwithstanding the fact that the status quo of the leadership structure of the ADC is the NEC led by David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, Chairman and Secretary respectively, INEC without scruples went on to unleash banditry on the ADC to the effect that it will no longer recognize any communications from the Party, especially at this crucial stage of preparing for the 2027 elections; emphasizing that it would no longer monitor the ADC congresses scheduled to start on the 7th of April. So, where does this decision leaves all the aspirants of one of the largest opposition parties in Nigeria ?
Again, We have been witnesses to how INEC in conjunction with a section of the Judiciary and Agents of the Tinubu Government emasculated the Labour Party, LP and later destroyed the People’s Democratic Party PDP with Nyeson Wike, a serving minister in the Tinubu regime as the Arrowhead of the contrived spoilers game to inflict a One man rule agenda on Nigeria
The MCE therefore makes bold to alert Nigerians once again that this mindless assault by INEC in Connivance with the APC is aimed excluding other political parties from the 2027 General Elections! INEC as presently constituted has shown that it is anything but Independent. It is but a gang of Electoral Bandits, whose sole mandate is to make Bola Ahmed Tinubu the sole Presidential Contestant in the 2027 elections
However, as the vanguard of the popular aspiration of Nigerians for credible elections in 2027, the MCE will be launching a nationwide mobilization for a well coordinated mass resistance to the growing despotism and electoral conspiracy against the Nigerian people. To this end the MCE shall be embarking on Zonal and National Town Hall Rallies as follows:
1. North East Zone: Thursday, 9th April 2026 in Gombe
2. North West: Monday, 13th April, 2026 in Sokoto or Kano
3. North Central: Wednesday, 15th April, 2026 in Jos
4. South South: Friday, 17th April, 2026 in Calabar or Warri
5. South East: Tuesday, 21st April 2026 in Enugu or Anambra
6. South West: Thursday, 24th April, 2026 in Ibadan or Lagos
7. National – Abuja: Monday, 27th April, 2026
In conclusion, we reject INECs Electoral Banditry on the opposition and multi party democracy in Nigeria!
We reject the manipulation of INEC and the Judiciary by the Tinubu Administration. We call all well meaning Nigerians to fight and resist this plot to entrench one man rule in Nigeria!
We call for the immediate resignation of the current INEC Chairman and his team who have become errand boys of the Tinubu Administration.
We demand for a comprehensive Electoral Reform which will guarantee free, fair and credible elections in 2027!
Signed:
1. Dr Usman Bugaje – Chair
2. Comrade Ayuba Wabba – Co – Chair
3. Amb Nkoyo Toyo – Deputy Chair (South )
4. Hajia (Dr) Bilikisu Magoro – Deputy Chair (North)
5. Comrade Promise Adewusi, mni – Director of Administration
6. Comrade Ene Obi – Ex Officio
7. HC Peter Ameh – Ex Officio
8. Engr Alex Ardum – Head, Mobilisation (NC)
9. Barr Malachy Ugwumadu – Director, Legal
10. Deacon Chris Iyovwaye – Head, Mobilization (SS)
11. Comrade Chris Uyot – Head, Mobilization (Labour)
12. Mallam Hamisu San Turaki – Head, Mobilization (N)
13. Prince Chris Azor – Head, Mobilisation (SE)
14. Comrade Mark Adebayo – Head, Mobilization (SW)
15. Peter Randy Akah – Director of Publicity
16. Comrade James Ezema – Media Coordinator
17. Comrade Kamal Yusuf Ahmed – Youths Coordinator
18. Comrade Bala Zakka – Director of Logistics
19. Alhaji Shettima Yerima – Ex Officio Member
20. Comrade Salisu Mohammed – Ex Officio Member
21. Ms Bunmi Ajani Lawson – Director of Public Education
22. Dr Tanko Yinusa – Director of Special Duties
23. Prof Akin Fapohunda – Head, Research & Policy
24. Comrade Hauwa Mustapha – Deputy Head of Secretariat
25. Veteran Olawale Okunniyi – Head of National Secretariat
26. Hon Uche Onyeagucha – Ex Officio
27. Prof Chidi Odinkalu- Ex Officio
28. Dr Sam Amadi – Ex Officio
29. Barr Femi Falana, SAN – Group Legal Counsel
30. Dr Oby Ezekwesili – Group Advisor, Strategy
31. Prince Adewole Adebayo, Esq – Group Advisor, Political
32. Prof Pat Utomi – NCFront/ Big Tent Leader
