The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating a calculated scheme to manipulate the 2027 general elections.
According to HURIWA, the APC is deploying sophisticated systems and procedural manoeuvres to secure absolute control over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the election outcomes.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, stated that the ruling party’s strategy includes appointing known APC loyalists as National Commissioners of INEC, thereby compromising the commission’s independence.
The group further accused Tinubu of pressuring second-term PDP governors seeking re-election to defect to the APC to serve as “decoys” for manipulating election results in their states.
The rights group pointed to the recent suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara as part of the APC’s alleged coordinated efforts to rig elections before any ballots are cast.
This move, HURIWA claims, is designed to forcibly bring opposition leaders under APC control.
Onwubiko cited the boastful remarks by APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, who claimed the party would win over two-thirds of Nigeria’s states and maintain commanding control of the National Assembly in 2027, as evidence of a premeditated plan to dominate the country’s political landscape.
HURIWA warned that the APC’s actions point toward the creation of a China-style one-party authoritarian state, accusing the ruling party of systematically enforcing a blueprint for authoritarianism in Nigeria.
The group expressed hope that civil society organizations would unite to expose and counteract these manipulative election tactics, ensuring free and fair elections in 2027.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
