The Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has condemned the African Democratic Congress for demanding the resignation of INEC Chairman Professor Amupitan Joash, warning that such actions risk deepening political tensions. Moro made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Thursday, stating that calls for resignation were not uncommon in Nigeria's political history and should not be treated as remedies for electoral disputes. The controversy stems from INEC's recent decision to delist ADC National Chairman David Mark and National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, following a court order requiring the commission to maintain the status quo pending litigation. INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna confirmed the move was in compliance with judicial directives. The ADC had accused INEC of bias and unlawful conduct, alleging a plot to impose a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections. Moro questioned the ADC's strategy of public protests, noting the party is one of 19 participating in the electoral process. He argued that if the INEC chairman were to resign, it would imply the entire electoral body is unfit to conduct elections. Moro urged political actors to pursue due process instead of escalating tensions through demonstrations.
Abba Moro's rebuke of the ADC's demand for INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan's resignation cuts to the core of a deeper issue: the selective outrage that defines opposition politics when institutional outcomes don't favour certain actors. While David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola were delisted based on a court order, the ADC's immediate shift to protest mode—rather than legal recourse—exposes a pattern of bypassing judicial processes when inconvenient. Moro's point about the "status quo ante bellum" being subject to legal interpretation holds weight, especially when courts are already seized of the matter.
The real tension lies not in INEC's actions but in the power struggle within the ADC itself, where high-profile defectors are attempting to repurpose an existing party structure for a presidential ambition. Moro's observation that these figures "adopted ADC as their platform" but now seek to take it over reveals a fracture between institutional ownership and political opportunism. The electoral commission's compliance with a court directive becomes a scapegoat for internal party chaos.
For ordinary Nigerians, particularly grassroots members of smaller parties, this saga underscores the risk of their parties being hijacked by political heavyweights with national agendas. When elite maneuvering triggers public protests over procedural rulings, it erodes trust in both party structures and electoral institutions. The spectacle benefits the politically connected while leaving rank-and-file members vulnerable to disbandment or delisting.
This episode fits a broader trend: the weaponisation of electoral bodies and court rulings as political tools rather than neutral arbiters. When parties challenge outcomes only when they lose, and rally behind institutions only when convenient, the 2027 election cycle risks becoming less about policy and more about procedural warfare.
