Amupitan cautions ADC about potential consequences of convening without INEC oversight

Joash Amupitan, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to exercise caution and refrain from proceeding with its planned congresses and national convention without INEC's supervision, citing the commission's prior derecognition of the party's leadership linked to Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.

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Amupitan's warning was issued during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, in which he emphasized that INEC's decision was guided by existing legal considerations, particularly a court order that has not been vacated.

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The INEC chairman stressed that his organization did not arrive at its decision hastily, but rather after careful consideration of the relevant facts and the applicable law, which includes a court directive that parties should not take actions that could undermine ongoing proceedings.

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According to Amupitan, the court has explicitly instructed parties to refrain from taking any steps that could potentially render ongoing court proceedings moot, a directive that the ADC would do well to heed.

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The issue of conducting congresses and conventions, Amupitan explained, is already a matter of ongoing litigation, with the parties involved having sought relief from the court, including a motion that has yet to be decided.

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Amupitan cautioned that disregarding court orders can have severe consequences, citing the example of Zamfara, where past electoral outcomes were invalidated by the court due to non-compliance with relevant directives.

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In Zamfara, Amupitan noted, the failure to heed early warnings and comply with court orders ultimately led to the declaration of the election as invalid, with the winner being the candidate who had received the second-highest number of votes.

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A similar situation, Amupitan observed, occurred in Plateau State, where the failure to comply with court directives had significant consequences for the electoral outcome.

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While acknowledging that the ADC is free to act as it chooses, Amupitan emphasized that INEC would not risk repeating past mistakes by failing to comply with court orders and relevant legal directives.

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Ultimately, Amupitan stated, the ADC is at liberty to proceed as it sees fit, but INEC will not participate in any actions that could potentially undermine the integrity of the electoral process or invite unnecessary legal complications.