The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has issued a strong warning to the African Democratic Congress over its plan to hold congresses and a national convention without the commission’s approval.
Amupitan, speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, said the party risks serious legal consequences if it proceeds, especially after INEC withdrew recognition from a faction associated with former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
He clarified that the commission’s action was not arbitrary but based on an existing court directive. According to him, INEC’s decision followed a legal order that restrains parties from taking steps that could interfere with ongoing proceedings.
“So if they are going ahead with their congress, with their convention, it’s left for them to look at it, whether it is in contravention of the court. INEC didn’t just take a decision. We didn’t just wake up one day and took this decision. There was something that led to it. There was an order of court,” he said.
Amupitan further noted that the court had explicitly warned against actions capable of undermining the case before it.
“Don’t do anything. Don’t take any step that will render any proceeding before the court nugatory,” he stated.
He explained that the issue of whether the party can hold its congresses or convention is already before the court, with a motion filed on the matter still awaiting determination.
“So, if already they are asking that don’t do any congress, don’t do any convention, it is a relief that is being claimed. And especially they filed a motion for that purpose, that motion has not been determined,” he added.
Drawing from past political developments, Amupitan cautioned that disobeying court orders could have serious consequences, including the nullification of election outcomes.
“Let me tell you what happened in Zamfara. It happened in the past. We don’t want to conduct an election without this early warning, and at the end of the day, after you have won, the court again will come and declare the election invalid. And the implication is that the person with the second highest number of vote will be declared the winner,” he said.
