Tinubu defending INEC neutrality is a conflict of interest

President Tinubu told the Catholic bishops yesterday that INEC is neutral and has never intimidated anyone. But the Director of News at Arise News, Sumner Sambo, has rightly called him out. He said it is not the president's place to tell Nigerians whether the electoral umpire has been fair or not. And I agree completely.

When a sitting president who is also a candidate in the coming election starts defending the commission that will conduct that election, it raises serious questions. The Catholic bishops themselves appealed for free and fair elections as a legacy Tinubu should leave. Instead of reassuring them through action, he chose to dismiss opposition concerns as fear of shadows. That is not leadership. That is deflection.

INEC needs to prove its independence through its actions, not through the president's press releases. If the commission is truly neutral, Nigerians will see it at the polling units in 2027. Not in a State House meeting where the president speaks for them. Am I the only one who finds this deeply troubling?