The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected directives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and will proceed with its congresses as scheduled. The party's timetable includes screening of aspirants on April 7, ward and local government congresses on April 9, state congresses on April 11, and a national convention on April 14. This follows INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan's warning during an ARISE NEWS interview that the party should not hold the congresses due to ongoing court proceedings. ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi dismissed Amupitan's remarks as a "wilful distortion" of a Court of Appeal order meant to maintain the status quo. The party insists no court has explicitly barred it from holding the congresses or convention. It argues that INEC is overreaching its constitutional role by attempting to halt internal party processes. The ADC maintains that internal disputes do not invalidate democratic activities and that INEC's duty is to monitor, not regulate, party congresses. The party rejected comparisons to the 2019 Zamfara political crisis, calling them legally misplaced. "The ADC will proceed with its activities in full compliance with the law and urges INEC to confine itself strictly to its constitutional and statutory mandate," the statement said.
Prof. Joash Amupitan's public warning to ADC suggests INEC is positioning itself as arbiter of party affairs, not just an electoral referee. The ADC's insistence on proceeding — backed by the absence of a specific court injunction — exposes the thin legal ground INEC stands on when policing internal party timelines. If the electoral commission can unilaterally halt a party's congress based on its interpretation of status quo, then every opposition party's autonomy is at risk. This isn't about defiance — it's about whether INEC gets to decide who holds power within parties, not just who wins elections.
