INEC Warns ADC: The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has warned the African Democratic Congress against going ahead with its planned congresses and national convention without the commission’s supervision, citing an existing court order and pending legal proceedings.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Friday, Amupitan said the electoral body’s position was not arbitrary but rooted in legal obligations and the need to avoid actions that could invalidate future electoral outcomes.
The warning follows the party’s insistence on proceeding with its convention despite INEC’s earlier derecognition of the leadership faction linked to Senator David Mark and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
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According to Amupitan, the issue surrounding the party’s planned congresses and convention is already before the court, and any move to proceed before the determination of the matter may amount to a violation of judicial directives.
He said INEC acted based on an existing court order that expressly cautioned parties against taking any step capable of frustrating the proceedings before the court.
“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 make a decision. We didn’t just wake up one day and make this decision. There was something that led to it. There was an order of court,” Amupitan said.
He stressed that the court had clearly instructed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the matter.
“Don’t do anything. Don’t take any step that will render any proceeding before the court nugatory,” he added.
The INEC chairman explained that the request to halt the congresses and convention forms part of the reliefs already being sought in the ongoing case.
According to him, a motion specifically addressing the matter has been filed and remains unresolved, making any attempt to proceed potentially problematic.
“So, if they are already asking that don’t do any congress, not to do any convention, it is a relief that is being claimed. And especially they filed a motion for that purpose, that motion has not been determined,” he said.
Amupitan also warned of the legal and political consequences of ignoring court orders, drawing parallels with previous electoral disputes in states such as Zamfara State and Plateau State.
He recalled that similar situations in the past had led to the nullification of election victories, with courts eventually awarding victory to candidates who came second.
“Let me tell you what happened in Zamfara. It happened in the past. We don’t want to conduct an election without this early warning, and at the end of the day, after you have won, the court again will come and declare the election invalid. And the implication is that the person with the second-highest number of votes will be declared the winner,” he said.
He added that Plateau State witnessed a comparable outcome during the last general election cycle, where failure to comply with court directives had significant consequences.
“It happened in Plateau State during the last election… failure to obey the court order has consequences,” Amupitan noted.
While reiterating that the ADC remains free to make its own decisions as a political party, the INEC chairman said the commission would not allow itself to be drawn into another avoidable legal crisis.
“They are at liberty to do whatever they want to do, but INEC does not want to go into this situation again,” he said.
The latest warning is expected to heighten tensions within the party as legal uncertainty continues to surround its leadership structure and internal processes.
Political observers say the outcome of the court proceedings may have wider implications for the party’s readiness ahead of future elections, especially if unresolved leadership disputes persist.
