Kenneth Okonkwo, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Professor Joash Amupitan, claiming it has deteriorated since the tenure of former INEC chairman Professor Yakubu Mahmood. In a statement posted on his 𝕏 account on Wednesday, Okonkwo criticised INEC's decision to remove David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from its portal as National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC. The commission also announced it would no longer recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is pursuing legal action to be declared national chairman. INEC declared it would suspend recognition of all ADC factions and refrain from monitoring any party congresses or conventions linked to the rival groups. The move follows a Court of Appeal judgment in Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, which deepened the leadership crisis within the party. INEC stated its position would remain until the Federal High Court delivers a final ruling on the matter. Okonkwo accused the commission of acting in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), calling the current leadership a threat to democracy. "Josh Amupitan is worse than Prof Yakubu Mahmood. Without a court order, INEC, which recognised the leadership of ADC, suddenly withdrew recognition for ADC. INEC, under Amupitan, has finally proved that it is a department of APC, and if nothing is done immediately, democracy has finally come to an end in Nigeria," he said.
INEC's abrupt withdrawal of recognition from ADC's top officials without a court order undermines its claim to neutrality. The commission, under Joash Amupitan, now faces direct accusations of partisan alignment, especially given Okonkwo's claim that it acts as an APC department. When an electoral body sidesteps due process during internal party disputes, public trust erodes. For Nigerian voters, this means election credibility hinges on unresolved institutional bias.
