₦airaland Forum

The INEC Chair, Professor Amupitan stated in an exclusive interview with Reuben Abat, that the commission is not foisting a one-Party State, is following the Court orders and warned that the ADC might forfeit recorded wins if it goes on with its Congresses/Convention without INEC's monitoring a la Zamfara

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has carefully reviewed the recent interview granted by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, and finds it necessary to respond, in order to correct several legal and factual misrepresentations. While the Commission seeks to present its position as one anchored in law and neutrality, the substance of the Chairman’s own statements reveals a fundamental misapplication of both constitutional principles and judicial directives.

First, the Chairman’s repeated assertion that INEC is merely acting within the confines of a “multi-party constitutional order” is, with respect, a[b] deflection from the central issue. The question before Nigerians is not whether Nigeria remains a multi-party state in theory, but whether the actions of INEC in practice are undermining the ability of opposition parties to freely organize and function. The ADC has not alleged the abolition of multi-party democracy in form; rather, it has raised concerns about actions that, in effect, weaken it. The Chairman’s reliance on the existence of multiple parties as proof of neutrality does not address the specific conduct under scrutiny.[/b]

On the issue of the Court of Appeal’s order, the Chairman places heavy reliance on the doctrine of status quo ante bellum, suggesting that it requires a rollback to a particular point in time and a suspension of party activities. This interpretation is both selective and legally flawed. The preservation order, by its nature, is intended to prevent actions that would irreversibly alter the subject matter of litigation, not to paralyze the internal functioning of a political party. The Chairman’s attempt to define the “status quo” by tracing the controversy to internal party developments in July 2025 is an administrative interpretation that INEC is not empowered to make. That determination lies strictly within the jurisdiction of the courts, not the Commission.

Furthermore, the Chairman’s claim that holding congresses or conventions would “render proceedings nugatory” is an overreach. Internal party processes, conducted in line with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, do not extinguish or prejudice pending judicial proceedings. On the contrary, democratic continuity within a political party is presumed under the law unless expressly restrained by a competent court. No such explicit order prohibiting congresses or conventions has been cited. What exists are general preservation directives, which cannot be expanded into a blanket prohibition on party governance.

The assertion that INEC is restrained from monitoring congresses due to an injunction equally exposes a critical misunderstanding of its role. INEC’s duty to monitor is statutory and triggered upon proper notification. A party’s decision to proceed with its internal processes does not depend on INEC’s participation. By conflating its monitoring function with the validity of the processes themselves, INEC effectively places itself above the law, assuming a veto power it does not possess.

The Chairman also references conflicting communications from different factions within the ADC as justification for inaction. However, the existence of internal disputes does not suspend a political party’s constitutional rights. Indeed, such disputes are commonplace in democratic systems and are routinely resolved without administrative paralysis. INEC’s role is not to arbitrate these disputes or to freeze party activities pending their resolution, but to maintain neutrality and allow due process to run its course.

On the invocation of precedents such as Zamfara, the comparison is misplaced. Those cases involved clear and established failures to comply with mandatory legal requirements for primaries. In contrast, the ADC has demonstrated its commitment to conducting its processes in strict accordance with its constitution and the Electoral Act. Pre-emptively warning of hypothetical judicial consequences, as the Chairman has done, amounts to speculation and cannot serve as a legal basis to restrict lawful party activities.

Finally, while the Chairman frames INEC’s position as one of caution to avoid future judicial invalidation of elections, this reasoning cannot justify present overreach. The law does not permit administrative bodies to curtail constitutional rights on the basis of speculative future outcomes. The proper course is to allow parties to act within the law and for courts to adjudicate disputes as they arise.

In conclusion, the ADC reiterates that its right to organize congresses and hold its national convention is constitutionally guaranteed and has not been lawfully suspended by any court. The interpretation advanced by the INEC Chairman stretches judicial directives beyond their meaning and risks setting a dangerous precedent where regulatory caution becomes a tool for democratic suppression.

Bolaji Abdullahi

Previous Thread:
Amupitan: If ADC Goes Ahead With Convention, It Won't Be Declared Winner

Amupitan and Dogara are best friends.

Dogara and Tinubu have a Grandfather and Grandson relationship.

Amupitan and Tinubu are both Yoruba and have a mutual paddy called Dogara.

Maybe Dogara made his Besty sign the resignation letter before he was appointed like Prof. Odinkalu said.

This was Nafiu Bala, before being recruited by same people that hired Amupitan to do their bidding.

Inec is under the payroll of the faaake certttifficcate hollldderr. They have started paying some judicial bandits to start releasing statements to defend the rascalities of the APC Inec.

No matter what, Mark this comment, the faaake certttifficcate hollldderr will never go beyond 2027. There is no pathway for another round of snatching and grabbing.

What is happening now is all a prelude that will facilitate the disgraceful rejection that will hit the faakkee crtttiffficcate holderrrrr

That Prof is playing with fire 🔥

Hand go soon touch am

Dem no dey beg housefly make e no follow dead body enter grave.

Nairaland lawyers have resumed their overdrive once again, like how they pushed LP into a pit. Infact, they all supported Abure against Lamidi Apapa, insulted the old man and even tore his cloth. The same Abure whom they are accusing of being an APC mole now.

These Nairaland SANs pushed Makinde's PDP faction into a pit and then ran away, leaving him hanging.

Now, it's the turn of ADC. I'm happy to inform them that we will be here watching and waiting with our popcorn as usual to see the end of this film.

But as for me and my family, may God drive away from us those people whose support always end in failure.

Wo, ADC should go on with their convention, abi what's all these?

INEC's action will save them from the same thing that happenee to APC in Zamfara back then, but no the chairman must be scapegoated.

Put your house in order na.

Everything the APC is doing today, PDP did more, they even boasted more than this, but today we dey see wetin dey sup

Sooner or later, everything go end too

Information reaching me is that Nafia Bala has withdrawn his fictitious claims. He cited that he did so in order to safe his political career.

While last election was "won" by going to court, they have already schemed methods of winning this next one through technicalities. The chairman said something you should pay attention to. Even if ADC wins, we will give the medal to Morocco and take it away from Senegal

Tenses:
Information reaching me is that Nafia Bala has withdrawn his fictitious claims. He cited that he did so in order to safe his political career.

He should withdraw it at the court ASAP.

This just made me remember the PDP Ibadan convention and how they were recalcitrant about it, "We will go ahead, we will go ahead, we don't need INEC to monitor it. Political issues are family affair...blablabla".
Last last, Ibadan convention turn to Ariya party.
ADC is walking in that path too and the end result is obvious.
Note: Nothing will happen if Obi and Atiku do not feature on the ballot, nothing will happen."

No Be Juju Be Dat?

"INEC’s role is not to arbitrate these disputes or to freeze party activities pending their resolution, but to maintain neutrality and allow due process to run its course."


Bolaji Abdullahi is becoming irritating..

Una wan run INEC Chairmen mad abi How he for maintain neutrality..if he dey recognise David Mark, neglecting Nasiru Bala...or recognising Nasiru, neglecting Mark...which should INEC Chairman do

Oga...face your party and advise una self to resolve all of your issues....else, mass exodus is beckoning

ayNEC is the pencil in the hands of APC..

A body that is supposed to be a referee taking a side

Voting out Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a task that must be achieved come 2027

Responding to the election arm of the APC is more like a waste of time. Tinubu wants to contest against himself as the only candidate on the ballot come 2027. It's glaring he's afraid of the will of the people he has impoverished with his archaic policies.

As someone rightly suggested earlier,

Resolving ADC crisis is as simple as ABC.

Since the leadership of the ADC under David Mark is interim, They can volunterily step down and return power to the former chairman, Ralph Nwosu NWC. Since the court said status quo should be maintained.

ADC National convention to elect new NWC, David Mark and co is next week.

Whether Nafiu Bala likes it or not he'll be useless before the end of next week.

Na dis bolaji go lead ADC astray

Obi should go and beg Abure to return to LP so he can come his usual third in the election. For Atiku, it’s time for baba to retire.

Adc want to pass back to contest election! You are fooling yourselves .

adioolayi:
Bolaji Abdullahi is becoming irritating..

Oga...face your party and advise una self to resolve all of your issues....else, mass exodus is beckoning

You're sickening and irritating. Isn't INEC supposed to be non-partisan?

PBAT is trying to play the Abacha scripts whereby he aimed to end up as the sole candidates in his plan to transition to democracy in 1998. I hope PBAT will not end like Abacha bcs history has never been kind to Anyone who wants to truncate system. Even the big OBJ wasn't successful in his 3rd term agenda.
PBAT is the one orchestrating this script how I wish that he knew that becoming the sole candidates in 2023 is the end of his beginning

ADC should act within the context of the law, put their house in order and stop blaming INEC.

This strategy is outdated and will not work in 2027.

APC made the same mistake in 2009, despite being at the centre, they couldn’t not present candidates for elections in 2 states.

If we go by INEC interpretation, ADC must not pay the salary of its workers since it views allmits actions as illegal. Status quo must not be limited to conventions and congresses. It must not sign any document or pay its PHCN bill, afterall status quo is unlimited, nonsense.

INEC is becoming an affiliate of APC

spiSeyi:
PBAT is trying to play the Abacha scripts whereby he aimed to end up as the sole candidates in his plan to transition to democracy in 1998. I hope PBAT will not end like Abacha bcs history has never been kind to Anyone who wants to truncate system. Even the big OBJ wasn't successful in his 3rd term agenda.
PBAT is the one orchestrating this script how I wish that he knew that becoming the sole candidates in 2023 is the end of his beginning

Stop blaming BAT or APC for ADC woes. They know their game plan and instead of doing the right thing they are playing on the sensibilities of Nigerians.

Memphis357:
You're sickening and irritating. Isn't INEC supposed to be non-partisan?

Tell us how INEC can display non-partisanship between David Mark and Nafiu Bala.

Tell us how practicable it is to be neutral as electoral umpire to two different persons laying claim to same position..

Will he recognise one and neglect the other or what

All this grandstanding and all this plenty grammar changes nothing.....you have a bigger problem in how you will defeat gombe in court.... .inec isn't your problem and you should bother less and focus less on inec......gombe is the bull in the China shop that you have to deal with......the sad part is the many ignorant lot who sensationalise politics and lack emotional intelligence to see devil in the details that is sticking out to destroy the adc,rather than deal with it head on tbey re busy doing aluta continua till their eye go clear dem go come dey call tinubu.

Putindbutt:
Dem no dey beg housefly make e no follow dead body enter grave.

Nairaland lawyers have resumed their overdrive once again, like how they pushed LP into a pit. Infact, they all supported Abure against Lamidi Apapa, insulted the old man and even tore his cloth. The same Abure whom they are accusing of being an APC mole now.

These Nairaland SANs pushed Makinde's PDP faction into a pit and then ran away, leaving him hanging.

Now, it's the turn of ADC. I'm happy to inform them that we will be here watching and waiting with our popcorn as usual to see the end of this film.

But as for me and my family, may God drive away from us those people whose support always end in failure.

Once upon a time when we had not only a flourishing economy but also a thriving democracy.

All these things changed for worse when we allowed ourselves to be screwed by Tinubu and his 2011 expired Buhari.

APC vows to form parallel government if 2015 elections are rigged

November 21, 2014




https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/171627-apc-vows-form-parallel-government-2015-elections-rigged.html

He basically said nothing.

I think he’s probably also taking brief from quack Obidient lawyers.

You can proceed with your Convention but INEC will not be there unless something changes before then.

The courts will eventually be the judge and not INEC.

I’m very sure in the background, ADC lawyers would have talk sense into their leadership and they will be making moves while forming Rambo online

In conclusion, the ADC reiterates that its right to organize congresses and hold its national convention is constitutionally guaranteed and has not been lawfully suspended by any court. The interpretation advanced by the INEC Chairman stretches judicial directives beyond their meaning and risks setting a dangerous precedent where regulatory caution becomes a tool for democratic suppression.

I'm beginning to see this guy has a mole either for wike pdp or Apc cos this guy doing rubbish strong head will push Adc into a big mess. Instead of them to quickly put thier house in order they are becoming irritating. It's not all Nigerians that are emotional blind to the rules of law.
The guy is beginning to sound like a mole.

ambale:
Everything the APC is doing today, PDP did more, they even boasted more than this, but today we dey see wetin dey sup

Sooner or later, everything go end too

Pdp did not do half of these

Stop rewriting history

If truly Tinubu has a hand in this, then that means the actual case to cripple ADC is not what is being currently debated on.

This is just a dummy for the actual plot. If ADC leaders are wise, they would know wetin I talk.

But Jagaban got no time for them, make them sort their stuffs and leave him out of this