The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed claims by Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that a Court of Appeal ruling prohibits the party from holding congresses and a national convention. The party called Amupitan's interpretation of the judgment "erroneous" and accused him of exceeding his mandate. In a statement, ADC National Secretary Ima Niboro said, "You're not the court. You do not have the power to decide what the judgment means." The party insisted it would proceed with its planned activities, describing them as internal party matters protected under electoral law. INEC had issued a directive barring ADC from conducting any congresses, citing the appellate court's decision in a suit brought by a faction of the party. ADC rejected the directive as unlawful and maintained that the court never imposed such a restriction. The party said its national convention is set to hold as scheduled, with no intention of seeking INEC's approval. Legal observers note that political parties in Nigeria have constitutional autonomy to conduct internal elections without regulatory interference.
ADC's public rebuke of INEC's chairman exposes a growing tension between a political party asserting its autonomy and a regulator claiming judicial backing. The statement from Ima Niboro directly challenges Amupitan's authority to interpret court rulings, a role reserved for the judiciary. If INEC continues to position itself as the final arbiter of internal party affairs, it risks undermining the very independence it is meant to protect. For Nigerian voters, this clash could set a precedent on how much control electoral regulators exert over party democracy.
