The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected claims by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan that the party's planned congresses and conventions could breach court orders. In a statement by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused Amupitan of misrepresenting the Court of Appeal's status quo directive, calling his interpretation legally flawed and an overreach of INEC's authority. The party insists that internal disputes do not suspend its constitutional right to hold democratic processes, and that INEC's role is not to arbitrate or halt party activities. Abdullahi stated that the Commission's warning, delivered in an ARISE NEWS interview, amounted to a wilful distortion of judicial directives and undermined opposition parties' ability to function freely.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed the ADC's position, labelling the party as disorganised and prone to infighting, and denied that President Tinubu bears responsibility for its challenges. Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo criticised the David Mark-led faction of the ADC, saying emotional appeals cannot resolve its legal issues. Former ADC presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu advised 2027 aspirants to avoid the party, citing its ongoing legal entanglements.
Prof. Joash Amupitan's public warning to the ADC, rather than a neutral administrative act, looks increasingly like regulatory overreach cloaked in legal caution. By defining the scope of court orders outside judicial purview, INEC risks becoming an arbiter rather than a facilitator of party democracy. When the electoral body starts dictating when and whether a party can convene, the line between oversight and interference blurs. For Nigerian opposition parties, this sets a troubling precedent where bureaucratic discretion may outweigh constitutional rights.
