Defy court order, risk election loss, INEC warns ADC

On Friday in Abuja, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, cautioned the African Democratic Congress against going ahead with its planned congresses and national convention without the commission’s involvement, stating that such action could affect the validity of any election outcome.

He gave the warning during a television interview after the party signalled its intention to proceed with its activities despite the commission’s earlier decision to withdraw recognition from a faction of its leadership linked to David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.

Amupitan explained that the commission’s position was based on an existing court directive and not a personal decision. He said the court had instructed parties involved in the dispute to avoid taking steps that could interfere with ongoing legal proceedings.

He noted that the issue of whether the party could hold congresses or a convention is already before the court and remains unresolved. According to him, taking action while the matter is still pending could lead to legal consequences.

The INEC chairman referred to previous election cases in states like Zamfara and Plateau, where failure to comply with court orders later affected election results. He said in such situations, victories recorded at the polls were overturned, and candidates with fewer votes were declared winners by the courts.

He added that although the party has the right to make its own decisions, the commission does not want a repeat of past situations where elections were later invalidated due to disregard for legal processes.

Amupitan maintained that the commission acted in line with a court order and urged political parties to follow due process to avoid complications that could arise after elections are concluded.