Leadership Dispute: ADC, INEC Chair, Trade Words Over Court Orders, Party’s Congresses * Your Interpretation Of Law Selective, Legally Flawed — ADC * Defy Court Orders And Bear The Consequences — Amupitan

 

 

By Akanni Toba

 

The leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a subsisting court order on the development has led to an exchange of words between the opposition party and the Chairman of the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan.

 

Recall that the electoral umpire on Wednesday struck out the names of ADC leaders from its portal citing a court of appeal ruling for its action.

 

The electoral body also added that it would not monitor the opposition party’s convention as required by law if the crisis persists therefore advising the party not to go ahead with the exercise.

 

 

INEC said it came to its decision after a review of the subsisting appeal court judgement on the leadership crisis in the ADC which has apparently polarised the party with two factions claiming to be in the control of the party’s structure.

 

Meanwhile, in a swift response to INEC’s decision speaking on Thursday, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s national publicity secretary insisted that the opposition party would hold its congresses and convention despite as planned despite the position of INEC.

 

ADC described the INEC’S position on its internal crisis as “misinterpretation of court order”.

 

“This interpretation (of the court order) is both selective and legally flawed.

 

“The preservation order, by its nature, is intended to prevent actions that would irreversibly alter the subject matter of litigation, not to paralyze the internal functioning of a political party.” the ADC said through its public secretary.

 

The party added,  “The chairman’s attempt to define the ‘status quo’ by tracing the controversy to internal party developments in July 2025 is an administrative interpretation that INEC is not empowered to make,

“That determination lies strictly within the jurisdiction of the courts, not the Commission.”

 

 

The party added that INEC cannot determine validity of congresses, stressing that holding congresses or conventions does not invalidate ongoing judicial proceedings.

 

“Internal party processes, conducted in line with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, do not extinguish or prejudice pending judicial proceedings

 

“Democratic continuity within a political party is presumed under the law unless expressly restrained by a competent court.” the party added.

 

It added, “A party’s decision to proceed with its internal processes does not depend on INEC’s participation.

 

“By conflating its monitoring function with the validity of the processes themselves, INEC effectively places itself above the law.

 

“The ADC will therefore proceed with its activities in full compliance with the law and urges INEC to confine itself strictly to its constitutional and statutory mandate,”.

 

Meanwhile, Amupitan noted that the INEC remains a neutral electoral umpire adding that the electoral body’s position is informed  by the law.

 

He enjoined the ADC to comply by INEC’S position while citing what happened in Zamfara and Plateau as precedent for what could be the likely consequence for defying the court orders.

 

 

“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 take a decision. We didn’t just wake up one day and took this decision. There was something that led to it. There was an order of court,” he said.

 

“Don’t do anything. Don’t take any step that will render any proceeding before the court nugatory. So, if already they are asking that don’t do any congress, don’t 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.

 

.“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 vote will be declared the winner.

 

“It happened in Plateau State during the last election, failure to obey the court order has consequences. They are at liberty to do whatever they want to do, but INEC do not want to go into this situation again.” Amupitan added