INEC chair warns ADC: Defying court order may invalidate your election

Amupian

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has warned the African Democratic Congress against holding its planned congresses and national convention without the commission’s oversight.

Amupitan issued the warning on Friday during an interview on Arise TV, after the party indicated it would proceed with its convention despite INEC’s derecognition of the leadership linked to former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. He said such a move could attract grave legal consequences.

He noted that the commission’s decision was anchored on a subsisting court order, not arbitrary discretion.

“So if they are going ahead with their congress, with their convention, it’s left for them to look at it, whether it is in contravention of the court. INEC didn’t just take a decision. We didn’t just wake up one day and took this decision. There was something that led to it. There was an order of court,” he said.

The INEC chairman said the court had specifically directed parties to refrain from any action capable of undermining pending proceedings.

“Don’t do anything. Don’t take any step that will render any proceeding before the court nugatory,” Amupitan stated.

He noted that the question of conducting congresses and conventions was already a live issue before the courts. Punch