The recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State have drawn strong criticism, with Moses Paul, chairmanship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), describing the exercise as nothing short of a betrayal of democracy.
In a statement on Monday, Paul faulted the entire process, accusing authorities of handing the polls to a sole administrator he claimed was “illegally imposed” from the outset. According to him, placing the future of a democratic process in such hands amounted to “rascality taken to its peak.”
“What we saw in Rivers State was not an election—it was a betrayal of the people’s trust,” Paul declared. “To allow a sole administrator, illegally imposed in the first place, to conduct an election is a double tragedy: democracy denied, and the people silenced.”
He stressed that the process was both unconstitutional and illegitimate, insisting that “illegality can never produce legitimacy.” In his words, any system built on falsehood and lawlessness is nothing more than “tyranny in disguise.”
Paul warned that grassroots democracy—the very heartbeat of Nigeria—was under serious threat. “If we kill it, we kill the nation’s future,” he said. “That is why I stand with the people, for free elections, true representation, and leadership that flows from the people’s mandate, not backdoor manipulations of the powerful.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 AMAC council elections, the ADC candidate reaffirmed his resolve to protect the sanctity of the ballot and restore people-driven governance. He urged residents to rise, resist deceit, and vote wisely.
“This is why AMAC must stand tall in 2026. We must prove that democracy still lives at the grassroots and that no contraption of illegality will silence the people’s will,” Paul stated, while praying for peace, progress, and prosperity for his people.
