The Pathfinder
Sunday April 12, 2026
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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, citing concerns over his perceived impartiality and the integrity of the electoral process.
In a strongly worded statement title ‘WHY AMUPITAN MUST RESIGN NOW’, the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi described recent revelations linking the INEC Chairman to a pro-Bola Ahmed Tinubu tweet from 2023 as “a grave affront to the integrity of our electoral system.”
The ADC maintained that an electoral umpire must not only be independent but must also be seen to be independent beyond reasonable doubt.
The party further expressed concern over reports of attempts to alter or erase digital records related to the matter, describing such actions as “a calculated assault on truth and accountability.”
“A man who manipulates records to save himself cannot be trusted to safeguard the mandate of millions,” the statement read.
Abdullahi argued that Professor Amupitan’s conduct, utterances, and the emerging digital evidence have fallen short of the standard expected of someone entrusted with conducting free and fair elections.
The party likened the situation to “a referee running around in the shirt of one of the teams he is supposed to officiate.”
It therefore demanded that Professor Amupitan resign immediately, warning that failure to do so would amount to “an insult to the Nigerian people and a dangerous precedent for our democracy.”
He added that it will update its petitions to relevant institutions, including foreign governments and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and will escalate its civil disobedience actions until the INEC Chairman steps down.
Read full statement below:
WHY AMUPITAN MUST RESIGN NOW.
The recent revelation linking a pro-Bola Ahmed Tinubu tweet of 2023 to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Amupitan, is not merely disturbing, it is a grave affront to the integrity of our electoral system.
In a democracy, the umpire must be above suspicion. He must not only be independent, he must be seen, beyond any reasonable doubt, to be independent. That is the minimum standard required of anyone entrusted with the sacred duty of conducting free and fair elections.
However, more troubling is the desperate attempt to tamper with digital records, to erase evidence of his previous partisanship.
This is not a trivial matter. It is a calculated assault on truth and accountability.
A man who manipulates records to save himself cannot be trusted to safeguard the mandate of millions.
Over the past few days, it has been repeatedly revealed that Professor Amupitan, by his conduct, his utterances, and now by incontrovertible digital evidence, has fallen far below the standard expected of an electoral umpire. The referee cannot be running around in the shirt of one of the teams he’s supposed to officiate in a match.
This is why Professor Amupitan must resign.
Now. Anything less is an insult to the Nigerian people and a dangerous precedent for our democracy. Relying on this evidence, ADC will be updating our petitions to all relevant institutions, including to foreign governments and the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA.
We will also renew and escalate our civil disobedience action until the INEC Chairman leaves office.
Meanwhile, the party has expressed support for the Nigerian Bar Association’s stance, affirming that courts lack jurisdiction over internal party disputes.
The ADC, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Saturday in Abuja, described NBA’s warning against judicial abuse as a validation of its position on the court’s legality.
Abdullahi stated that NBA’s intervention highlighted the ongoing attempts to undermine the David Mark-led leadership through judicial processes, insisting that they were inconsistent with existing electoral laws.
He maintained that the current dispute was not legitimate litigation but a deliberate strategy aimed at exploiting judicial mechanisms for political advantage and manipulation purposes.
The party’s spokesperson described such actions as abuse of court process, involving forum shopping and what it termed ‘mala fide litigation’ intended to destabilise the party’s lawful leadership structure.
He emphasised that any judicial order obtained contrary to statutory provisions remained invalid and cannot form a legitimate basis for actions affecting party leadership.
Abdullahi expressed concern that certain actors had continued to involve courts in prohibited matters, creating confusion and attempting to project uncertainty around the party’s leadership structure.
He commended NBA for reaffirming the rule of law and warning legal practitioners against actions that could undermine judicial integrity and democratic principles.
While referencing NBA’s call for disciplinary measures against any erring legal practitioner, he said that such a call underscored the seriousness of the ongoing violations.
Abdullahi called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain neutral and impartial and avoid actions that could legitimise processes inconsistent with the Electoral Act.
He stated that the dispute extended beyond the party’s internal affairs, framing it as a broader issue concerning the protection of democratic integrity in Nigeria.
Abdullahi, however, reaffirmed ADC’s commitment to pursuing lawful measures to defend its mandate and safeguard democratic principles. (NAN).
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