ADC Raises Alarm Over Lagos CP’s Involvement With ‘City Boy’

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of blurring the line between state institutions and partisan politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party cited reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) engaged a faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) linked to, Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a MC Oluomo, a prominent Tinubu ally for election logistics.

The ADC also kicked against the appearance of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, at the launch of the pro-Tinubu support group, City Boy Movement.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the developments raise serious concerns about the neutrality of key electoral and security institutions and called for explanations from both INEC and the Nigeria Police Force.

The ADC alleged that political actors were increasingly infiltrating state institutions while officials expected to remain neutral were openly associating with partisan activities.

According to the party, reports that a faction of the NURTW associated with a long-time ally of President Tinubu could be involved in transporting election personnel and sensitive materials risk undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

“INEC’s credibility depends not only on conducting free and fair elections, but on inspiring confidence among all political stakeholders. Any logistics arrangement that potentially undermines the integrity of the electoral process because of the involvement of partisan individuals in handling sensitive materials would certainly cast a long shadow of doubts on whether the process has been manipulated,” the statement said.

The ADC argued that the reported arrangement was enough to warrant suspicion and linked its concerns to the President’s recent declaration that “all is fair in war,” describing the remark as evidence of a determination to secure political advantage at all costs.

The party also criticised the attendance of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police at the launch of the City Boy Movement, a group established to promote Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“The Nigeria Police Force belongs to the Nigerian people, not to any political party. Senior police officers must not only remain impartial, they must also be seen to be impartial,” the statement added.

The ADC called on INEC to clarify the nature of its engagement with the NURTW faction and pledged to write formally to the electoral commission’s chairman seeking a detailed explanation.

It further urged the Inspector-General of Police to state whether the Lagos police commissioner’s attendance at the political event was officially authorised and whether such conduct aligns with the standards of neutrality expected of senior police officers.

The party said that if the officer acted without authorisation, disciplinary action should be taken. Alternatively, it argued that similar access should be granted to other political parties if such appearances are permissible.

As part of its challenge, the ADC announced plans to invite the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory to an upcoming party event in Abuja, expressing the expectation that they would attend “in the interest of fairness and equity.”

The party maintained that the reported developments point to a growing erosion of the distinction between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and state institutions, warning that such a trend could undermine confidence in the 2027 electoral process.