By Ibrahim Salaudeen, Lagos
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has issued a stern warning to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against proceeding with its planned congresses and national convention without the commission’s recognition and oversight.
Speaking on Arise TV on Friday, Amupitan cautioned that any move by the party to go ahead with the exercise—despite INEC’s derecognition of a faction of its leadership—could trigger serious legal consequences.
He stressed that the commission’s position was not arbitrary but firmly rooted in a subsisting court order restraining actions that could prejudice ongoing judicial proceedings.
“INEC didn’t just wake up and take this decision. There was something that led to it. There was an order of court,” Amupitan said, noting that the judiciary had explicitly directed parties to refrain from steps capable of undermining matters before it.
According to him, the issue of whether the ADC can validly conduct congresses and conventions is already before the court, with a pending motion yet to be determined.
“So, when the court says don’t do anything that will render proceedings nugatory, and there is already a request before it to stop such activities, it is only reasonable to tread carefully,” he added.
Amupitan invoked the precedent of Zamfara State, where the Supreme Court nullified election victories due to procedural violations linked to party primaries. He warned that a similar outcome could befall the ADC if it ignores judicial directives.
“We don’t want a situation where elections are conducted, winners are declared, and then the courts invalidate everything. In such cases, the candidate with the second-highest votes could end up being declared the winner,” he said.
He also referenced a similar scenario in Plateau State, where failure to comply with court orders affected electoral outcomes.
While acknowledging the ADC’s right to internal decision-making, the INEC chairman maintained that the commission would not be drawn into actions that could precipitate another avoidable electoral crisis.
“They are at liberty to do whatever they want, but INEC does not want to go into this situation again,” Amupitan stated.
The warning sets the stage for a potential confrontation between the electoral body and the opposition party, as legal uncertainties continue to cloud the ADC’s planned activities.
