INEC disregards demands for Amupitan's dismissal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected calls for the removal of its chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, following the commission's decision to de-recognise David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as national chairman and secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement issued on Thursday night, Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, noted that while stakeholders have the right to express their views, it is essential to clarify that INEC is a creation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The statement highlighted that the appointment, tenure, and removal of the Chairman and National Commissioners are strictly governed by Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and the Chairman does not hold office at the pleasure of any political party or interest group.

INEC's decision to comply with the Court of Appeal Judgment was made to avert a situation similar to what occurred in Zamfara State and Plateau State, where elected officials were removed by the Election Tribunal due to disobedience of a Court Judgment.

The Commission also sought to avoid disobeying a preservative court order, which would have rendered the processes already filed at the Federal High Court nugatory, by not monitoring the congress and convention of the David Mark-led ADC.

It was only on September 9, 2025, that INEC accepted and approved David Mark's Exco, seven days after the matter was filed at the Federal High Court, and the order to maintain the status quo ante bellum meant that INEC had to either fully obey or refuse to obey the Court of Appeal's order.

Section 287(2) of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999, mandates every person and authority in Nigeria to obey and enforce the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, which guided INEC's actions in this matter.

Under Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, the Commission has expanded the democratic space by registering and recognising new parties, including the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and the National Democratic Party (NDP), bringing the total number of active political parties to 22.

INEC remains a neutral regulator, not a participant in political competition, and its updates to party leadership records are strictly based on compliance with subsisting court orders and statutory requirements under the Electoral Act 2026.

The Commission will not be drawn into internal strife within political parties, nor will it allow itself to be used as a proxy for resolving organisational challenges that belong to the parties themselves, especially when the Court of Appeal has ordered an accelerated hearing.

Regarding the planned nationwide voter revalidation exercise, INEC noted that there was an attempt to politicise the exercise, which is a professional necessity to strengthen the integrity of the National Register of Voters.

The current register includes data from 2011 to 2024, and the revalidation exercise is designed to sanitise the register, confirm the status of registered voters, address issues arising from transfers, multiple registrations, and deceased persons, and enhance the reliability of voter data in Nigeria.

The revalidation is an administrative audit, not a fresh registration, and it is not targeted at any region, party, or demographic, but rather a uniform, transparent process to be conducted across all Local Government Areas and Polling Units.

INEC is currently focused on the forthcoming Ekiti (June 2026) and Osun (August 2026) off-cycle elections, and the Commission will not be distracted by unfounded allegations of collusion or bias, remaining committed to the Constitution and the will of the Nigerian people.

The Commission understands that some decisions may be challenging and not always align with individual party interests, but it is dedicated to fostering an electoral environment where transparency and fairness prevail, with decisions based on thorough evaluations and aligned with the legal framework governing its operations.

INEC remains committed to delivering elections that are free, fair, credible, and inclusive, serving the interests of all stakeholders within the democracy, rather than specific political entities.