- ADC accused INEC chairman of flawed legal interpretation
- Bolaji Abdullahi said actions may weaken opposition parties
- Party rejected INEC’s stance on court order and neutrality
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, over what it described as a flawed interpretation of constitutional and judicial principles.
In a statement issued on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said comments made by the INEC chairman in a recent interview revealed a “fundamental misapplication” of legal doctrines and court directives.
Abdullahi argued that Amupitan’s repeated claim that INEC was acting within the framework of a multi-party constitutional system was a deflection from the core issues being raised by the opposition party.
According to him, the real concern is not whether Nigeria formally operates a multi-party system, but whether INEC’s actions are undermining the ability of opposition parties to organise freely and function effectively.
“The question before Nigerians is not whether Nigeria remains a multi-party state in theory, but whether the actions of INEC in practice are weakening it,” Abdullahi stated.
He clarified that the ADC had not alleged the abolition of multi-party democracy in principle, but rather expressed concerns over actions that could erode it in practice.
The party also faulted Amupitan’s reliance on the existence of multiple political parties as evidence of neutrality, insisting that such an argument does not address the specific conduct being challenged.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
On the issue of a subsisting Court of Appeal order, Abdullahi accused the INEC chairman of misinterpreting the doctrine of status quo ante bellum. He noted that Amupitan’s position suggests that the doctrine requires a rollback of party activities and a suspension of internal processes.
However, the ADC spokesman described this interpretation as selective and legally flawed. He argued that preservation orders are intended to maintain the subject matter of litigation and prevent irreversible changes, not to paralyse the internal operations of a political party.
“The preservation order is meant to protect the integrity of the matter before the court, not to halt the lawful functioning of party structures,” he explained.
The exchange marks the latest development in the ongoing tensions between the ADC and INEC, particularly over the party’s leadership crisis and regulatory oversight.
Political observers say the dispute raises broader questions about the role of electoral bodies in internal party affairs and the balance between legal compliance and democratic freedoms as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.