“Even INEC Agreed The Judgement Was Wrong” -Showunmi Claims INEC Officials Privately Agreed With Him

According to Channels Television on Monday, November 9, 2026, Segun Showunmi, a former campaign spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) privately admitted to him that the court judgment nullifying the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was wrong.

Showunmi made the disclosure while appearing on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme, where he discussed the controversy surrounding the court ruling and its implications for the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during the interview, he alleged that some INEC officials had expressed concerns about the judgment in private but were afraid of being held accountable by the individual judge who delivered the ruling.

He said, “Even INEC officials I know, have told me in private that the judgement was wrong. They are afraid of being judged by one individual.”

Showunmi explained that the officials were unhappy with the circumstances surrounding the judgment, arguing that it had placed the electoral commission in a difficult position as preparations for the 2027 elections continue.

According to him, the INEC officials believed that the ADC leaders, whom he described as influential political figures in the country, would explore legal and other available means to ensure they were not prevented from participating in the forthcoming elections.

He recalled a previous description of the ADC leaders as the “big boys in Nigeria,” adding that they were determined to use every available legal avenue to protect their political interests.

“You remember the gentleman called them ‘the big boys in Nigeria’ but they say they will use the law and everything else to ensure that they are not given the opportunity,” he stated.

The former Atiku campaign spokesperson also disclosed that a meeting had taken place between INEC representatives and the party’s leadership sometime the previous week.

He revealed that two individuals, whose identities he declined to disclose, had met with the ADC leadership to discuss the situation.

Showunmi said, “So there was a meeting with INEC. Two individuals, let me not name them, met the leadership of the party. I think that was sometime last week. And what did they do?”

He explained that the meeting was intended to address how the commission would respond to the court judgment and determine the next steps for both INEC and the party.

Showunmi further claimed that the timing of the judgment caught the electoral commission by surprise, alleging that there had been an expectation that the ruling would be delivered on Saturday rather than earlier in the week.

He said, “Now, INEC, the way the judgement came out – ‘Oh, it was too late’. What was the plan? What was the plan? The plan was to come on Saturday.”

According to him, the earlier delivery of the judgment disrupted the ADC leaders’ preparations, as they had expected to use the weekend to develop their response to the ruling.

He added that INEC officials were equally unprepared for the judgment to be delivered on Thursday, November 5, 2026, leaving the commission facing difficult decisions over the recognition of the David Mark-led leadership and compliance with the court order.

Showunmi maintained that the ruling had created uncertainty within the country’s political environment, claiming that INEC was now struggling with the legal implications of the decision.

He also argued that the ADC leadership should have resolved its internal disagreements through dialogue rather than allowing the dispute to escalate into a legal battle that could complicate the commission’s responsibilities.

The former campaign spokesperson further urged opposition politicians to stop blaming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their internal political difficulties, insisting that they should acknowledge and address the problems within their own political structure.

He concluded by alleging that the INEC officials who privately expressed reservations about the judgment understood the situation but were unwilling to speak publicly because of the political influence of those involved in the ADC leadership dispute.

Watch the video from 00:10:14 – 00:11:12 HERE

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