INEC defends withdrawal of ADC faction recognition, cites rule of law
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended its decision to withdraw recognition of rival factions within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the move was necessary to uphold the rule of law.
In a statement on Thursday, Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan, said the action followed a Court of Appeal ruling ordering parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum—the situation before the suit was filed at the Federal High Court.
“The Commission did not want to disobey the preservative order of the court or take any step that would render pending processes at the Federal High Court nugatory,” Oketola said, noting that monitoring the congress or convention of the David Mark-led faction would have violated the court’s order.
INEC had on Wednesday announced that it would no longer recognize either the David Mark-led faction or the Nafiu Bala Gombe faction, following the appellate court’s directive.
The clarification comes after political actors accused the commission of partisanship and demanded the removal of its chairman over its handling of the ADC leadership dispute.
Oketola dismissed these calls as “unconstitutional and politically motivated,” emphasizing that INEC’s chairman does not serve at the pleasure of any party or interest group. “Any call for removal outside the established constitutional process is a direct assault on the independence of the nation’s electoral umpire,” he said.
The spokesperson added that INEC’s role in the ADC crisis is strictly regulatory and legal, and the commission “will not be drawn into the internal strife within political parties.”
The statement also referenced previous incidents in Zamfara and Plateau states, where elected officials were removed for failing to comply with court judgments, highlighting INEC’s intent to prevent similar legal complications.
