News Investigators/ A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has called on political parties to ensure compliance with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rules and shun violence.
Ariwoola made the call when he led the Governing Council of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development on a courtesy visit to the leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the courtesy call was part of the centre’s ongoing stakeholder engagements with political parties and political leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The retired chief justice expressed the centre’s commitment to promoting free, fair and credible elections in the country.
He urged the ADC leadership to encourage its candidates and members to comply with INEC’s rules and eschew all forms of political violence.
Responding, the National Chairman of ADC, Sen. David Mark, said that the party would not allow itself to be rigged out in the coming elections, adding that ADC was committed to playing by the rules.
“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy,” he said.
Mark also assured that the party would comply with INEC rules guiding the elections as well as ADC’s code of conduct, articulated in its Orange Book.
He, however, maintained that the party would not accept rigging.
“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,” he stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the centre’s governing council who accompanied Ariwoola included Prof. Abdullahi Shehu, Prof. Azeez Dankano; the Executive Director, Amb. Sani Bala, Mr Tunji Lardner and Amb. Godswill Ighali, among others.
NAN
