The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Dumebi Kachikwu, analyzed the February 25, 2023, presidential election in an interview with Friday Olokor. He believes that the four major political parties—PDP, APC, Labour Party and NNPP—rigged the poll in their strongholds, though this did not materially affect the overall outcome.
Kachikwu noted that controversies surrounded the failure of technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), during the election. He admitted that the contest was entered into “knowing we were operating within a flawed system.” He expressed no expectation from INEC, describing it as an institution that refused to obey court orders and conducted sham elections, thereby perpetuating mediocrity. According to him, INEC assumes the electorate will accept mediocre or sham elections.
Four hours before the vote, Kachikwu told Nigerians that, as an ADC candidate, he had no realistic pathway to victory. He said this honesty was “the proper thing to do” in an advanced democracy, allowing supporters to decide whether to continue with a “suicide mission” or to shift their votes to parties more aligned with their convictions. He argued that the opposition was divided—PDP, LP, NNPP, G‑5 and PDP—while the APC remained united and in government, making it impossible for a fragmented opposition to overcome the ruling party.
He criticized other parties for prioritising power over the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians, warning that the ruling party would win. The Labour Party, he claimed, hoped only for a runoff to force Peter Obi into negotiations. The PDP believed Atiku Abubakar would secure northern support, but northern voters rejected this, opting instead for a southern candidate and ultimately backing Asiwaju Tinubu. Kachikwu praised Tinubu as a “political maestro” who navigated obstacles, health challenges and a flawed system to win the election.
Looking forward, Kachikwu outlined two options. The first mirrors the Labour Party or PDP route: deny the result, incite protests, and hope for an interim government—a path that would “burn down Nigeria.” The alternative is for the opposition to unite, craft a clear agenda for Nigerians, and hold the winning party accountable. He stressed that Nigeria and its people are larger than any party or individual ego, especially given the country’s dire economic, security, unemployment, poverty and infrastructure challenges.
Regarding BVAS, Kachikwu, a technology entrepreneur, argued that the system is not designed to deliver credible elections. BVAS is merely an accreditation and result‑upload tool, not an electronic voting system. True electronic voting would require capturing and instantly uploading thumbprints to a server for real‑time counting. He pointed out that BVAS failed in Osun and Ekiti, questioning its reliability for nationwide elections. Consequently, the four parties exploited BVAS’s shortcomings to benefit in their strongholds, but this manipulation did not change the overall result.
He observed extreme vote‑rigging in certain regions—95 % for one party in the Southeast, marginal adjustments in Lagos, inflated numbers for the NNPP in Kano, and even children voting for the LP in his local government. Yet, he maintained that the majority of Nigerians still determined the election’s outcome.
Both the Labour Party and PDP are challenging the results in court. Kachikwu sees this as a “wild goose chase,” suggesting they aim only to energise their bases for upcoming state elections. Conceding would, in his view, demoralise their supporters and benefit the APC in forthcoming governorship polls.
Finally, Kachikwu discussed Governor Nyesom Wike’s position. Wike opposed the idea of a northern Muslim candidate replacing another northern Muslim candidate, insisting on a southern PDP candidate. When the PDP ultimately nominated a northern candidate, Wike demanded a southern party chairman, who refused to resign. Kachikwu likened this to past political cycles, noting that similar missteps—such as Atiku’s missed opportunities—have repeatedly cost parties electoral victories.
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