The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, over his recent public comments concerning the party’s internal affairs and ongoing legal issues.
In a statement released on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the INEC chairman misinterpreted both constitutional provisions and court directives. He argued that Amupitan’s position does not properly reflect the true meaning and intention of the law.
Abdullahi noted that the repeated claim by INEC that it is acting within the framework of a multi-party democracy fails to address the real concern being raised.
According to him, the issue is not whether Nigeria operates a multi-party system in theory, but whether INEC’s actions are weakening opposition parties in practice and limiting their ability to function effectively.
He further explained that the ADC has never claimed that multi-party democracy has been abolished. Instead, the party is worried that certain decisions and actions by INEC are gradually undermining the system and making it difficult for opposition parties to organise and carry out their activities without interference.
The ADC spokesperson also criticised the reliance on the existence of multiple political parties as proof of neutrality, stressing that such an argument does not address the specific complaints raised by the party.
Speaking on the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abdullahi said INEC misapplied the principle of maintaining the status quo. He explained that such orders are meant to preserve the subject of a case and prevent irreversible changes, not to halt the normal functioning of a political party.
He insisted that INEC’s interpretation of the court order is selective, flawed, and capable of creating confusion within the political space.
