2027: ADC says INEC can no longer be trusted, demands Amupitan’s sack

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate removal of Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing him of deliberate misinterpretation of a court order in the party’s leadership dispute.

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, David Mark, national chairman of the ADC, said the electoral body can no longer be trusted, describing its actions as unlawful and partisan.

Mark noted that the controversy followed a March 12 judgment of the court of appeal, which directed all parties, including INEC, to maintain status quo pending resolution of the case before the federal high court.

He said his legal team had challenged the jurisdiction of the federal high court, but the appeal was dismissed, leaving the directive to preserve the existing ADC leadership.

“After the judgment, lawyers associated with Nafiu Bala sought recognition from INEC in a manner that distorts the meaning of status quo ante bellum,” Mark said, alleging that these actions were backed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused of attempting to weaken opposition parties.

“It is not the ADC that is under attack. This is a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy and the right of Nigerians to choose, participate, and exercise their rights as free citizens,” Mark added.

“We have witnessed how the APC-led Federal Government has undermined, compromised, and coerced other opposition political parties. The ADC has risen as the last bastion between Nigeria’s democracy and full-blown dictatorship. And this is what worries them.”

Mark said it came as a shock when INEC, on April 1, announced the withdrawal of recognition for both his leadership and the faction linked to Bala, creating a “false equivalence” between the parties.