The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate resignation or removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, over alleged partisanship and actions it said could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The demand was made on Wednesday during a protest by party leaders and supporters at INEC headquarters in Abuja, amid a deepening leadership crisis within the party that has persisted since September 2025.
The party, in a statement jointly conveyed by its National Chairman, David Mark, and National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, accused the INEC boss of exceeding his constitutional mandate and allegedly aligning with a faction in the party.
ADC said recent actions by the electoral umpire raise serious concerns about neutrality and pose risks to Nigeria’s multi-party democracy ahead of the 2027 polls.
“Your recent media interview was not only disgraceful and unbecoming of the high office you occupy, but it also exposed a troubling willingness to descend into partisan controversy,” the party stated.
It faulted the INEC chairman for allegedly interpreting court rulings relating to the party’s internal leadership dispute, insisting that such responsibility rests solely with the judiciary.
“The interpretation of court judgments is the exclusive preserve of the judiciary. For the Chairman of INEC to publicly assume that role amounts to a serious constitutional breach,” the statement added.
The party warned that any perceived bias by the electoral body could erode public trust and compromise the integrity of future elections, stressing that credible, transparent and impartial oversight remains critical to the success of the 2027 general elections.
ADC further alleged that the commission had taken steps capable of interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, describing such actions as dangerous to democratic pluralism.
“Any action that tilts the electoral playing field strikes at the very heart of democratic practice,” it said.
The party also recalled that INEC had previously monitored and acknowledged its internal processes in 2025, including National Executive Committee meetings that produced the current leadership under Mark, and had updated its records accordingly.
It, however, expressed concern over what it described as a shift in the commission’s posture, urging a recommitment to neutrality to safeguard the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
