April 1 2026

‎In a recent interview with Daily Independent on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Prof. Pat Utomi, a respected political economist and member of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), has raised concerns about restrictions on political freedom in Nigeria, stating that the government and election authorities have manipulated laws to limit the choices of citizens.

‎Utomi explained that the freedom of association, which allows people to join any political party, has been affected, he said the rules now depend on complex party regulations and timelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to him, these rules make it hard for citizens to move between parties or make their voices count.

‎He stated that INEC deliberately imposes timetables that limit flexibility, this prevents parties and voters from fully exercising their rights, he criticized party consensus arrangements, he said such arrangements often favor certain leaders and reduce options for ordinary citizens.

‎Utomi argued that these restrictions are part of a broader effort to maintain control over the political system, by limiting freedom of association and enforcing strict rules, he said, authorities make it harder for opposition parties to challenge the status quo.

‎He warned that if Nigerians do not push back, these measures could weaken democracy, citizens may lose their ability to make independent political choices, he said civil society must act to ensure that political rights are respected and that elections are fair.

‎"They manipulated the laws so that the freedom of association in Nigeria is fully initiated by this business of whether you can move to this party, the kind of timetable that INEC deliberately foist is to prevent people to have the flexible options in order to favor APC, and then they have come with their consensus thing and all of that," he said.

Naija news channel