The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, over remarks made in a recent interview, accusing him of misinterpreting constitutional principles and judicial directives.
In a statement issued on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the INEC chairman’s comments reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the legal and constitutional issues at stake.
Abdullahi argued that Amupitan’s claim that INEC is operating within the framework of a multi-party system misses the core concern. According to him, the real issue is whether the commission’s actions are undermining the ability of opposition parties to organise and function effectively.
He clarified that the ADC is not disputing the existence of multi-party democracy in Nigeria, but is instead raising concerns about actions that could weaken it in practice.
The party also faulted the INEC chairman’s reliance on the presence of multiple political parties as evidence of neutrality, insisting that such a claim does not address the specific allegations against the commission.adcadADC Knocks INEC Chair Over ‘Flawed’ Interpretation of Law, DemocracyADC Knocks INEC Chair Over ‘Flawed’ Interpretation of Law, Democracy
On the Court of Appeal’s directive, Abdullahi criticised Amupitan’s interpretation of the doctrine of status quo ante bellum, saying it was selective and legally flawed. He explained that such preservation orders are meant to maintain the subject of litigation and prevent irreversible changes—not to halt the internal activities of political parties.