Amupitan Alerts ADC to Legal Risks of Holding Convention Without INEC Supervision

The head of Nigeria’s electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over its plan to conduct congresses and a national convention without the commission’s oversight.

During a Friday appearance on Arise TV, Amupitan said the warning followed the party’s insistence on proceeding despite INEC’s refusal to recognise a leadership faction linked to David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola.

He emphasised that INEC’s position was rooted in legal considerations, particularly a subsisting court directive.

“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.

According to Amupitan, the court had expressly warned against any action that could jeopardise ongoing proceedings.

“Don’t do anything. Don’t take any step that will render any proceeding before the court nugatory,” Amupitan stated.

He further explained that the matter of party congresses and conventions is already part of a pending suit.

“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.

Amupitan cautioned that ignoring such legal directives could lead to severe consequences, drawing from past experiences.

“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.

He also pointed to a comparable situation in Plateau State.

“It happened in Plateau State during the last election… failure to obey the court order has consequences,” Amupitan noted.

Although he acknowledged the party’s freedom to act, he maintained that INEC would not repeat previous missteps.

“They are at liberty to do whatever they want to do, but INEC do not want to go into this situation again,” he said.

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