Tinubu interfering in NBA election to rehearse 2027 poll rigging, Atiku alleges
The media office of presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of interfering in the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election.
He alleged that the actions of the Federal Government are a rehearsal for manipulating the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Atiku Media Office claimed that the Tinubu administration was extending what it described as its “politics of imposition” to the NBA, warning that such actions pose a threat to democratic institutions and the independence of professional bodies.
The statement alleged that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the outcome of the NBA election by backing a preferred candidate and using state institutions to shape the electoral process.
According to the media office, the same strategy is allegedly being deployed to weaken opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections through internal crises, judicial interventions and the weakening of democratic institutions.
It claimed that reports suggesting attempts to use the courts to influence the NBA election represent a dangerous precedent capable of undermining the integrity of the legal profession and Nigeria’s democratic process.
“The NBA election remains the exclusive responsibility of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), which was constituted by the NBA National Executive Council in line with the provisions of the NBA Constitution 2015 (as amended),” the statement said.
The Atiku Media Office further alleged that efforts to disqualify some aspirants from the NBA presidential race mirrored what it described as a broader strategy to sideline opposition candidates in future elections through legal and institutional means.
It warned government officials against interfering in the affairs of the association, urging them to allow the NBA to conduct what it described as a free, fair and credible election that would ensure a smooth leadership transition.
The statement also alleged that despite unsuccessful attempts to postpone the election, government officials had resorted to deploying security agencies to target service providers involved in the conduct of the poll.
It further claimed that such actions reveal an alleged plan by the Tinubu administration to use government institutions to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
The statement was signed by the Atiku Media Office and issued in Abuja on Thursday.
The Presidency and other officials mentioned in the allegations had not issued any immediate response as of the time of filing this report.
