By Samuel Olusegun Precious
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under intense fire for keeping silent as politicians make bold claims about the outcome of the 2027 general elections before a single vote is cast.
The latest controversy was triggered by comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, during his monthly media chat on Tuesday in Abuja, where he claimed that President Bola Tinubu had already secured significant voting blocs ahead of 2027 and boasted about delivering Rivers State.
The comments have sparked outrage on social media, with popular activist VeryDarkMan (VDM) leading the criticism.In a viral video posted Tuesday, VeryDarkMan called out INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan:“INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, what is the meaning of this nonsense? You people are keeping quiet while Wike is boldly making this statement? Wike has pushed the masses to the wall too much. It’s annoying!”
VDM questioned why INEC has refused to counter politicians who are already allotting votes and announcing results.“Is it Wike’s job to announce results? And how come Wike is announcing the results before an election? And INEC is not countering him and telling him that, come, excuse me, you cannot do that,” he asked.
He said the silence of the electoral body was dangerous for voter confidence and urged INEC to reassure Nigerians that the election will be decided by ballots, not by declarations from political gladiators. Other Nigerians on X and Facebook echoed his concerns, accusing politicians of voter intimidation and demanding that INEC speak up to protect the credibility of the polls.As at press time, INEC has not issued any official response to Wike’s comments.
The development comes just a day after INEC Chairman Amupitan, speaking at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, assured Nigerians that “algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote” and that the choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the people.
