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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, over alleged bias.
The ADC caucus, at a press briefing on Monday, said the sack and prosecution of Amupitan are necessary to safeguard the integrity of the country’s democracy.
The opposition lawmakers noted that the actions of the INEC chairman are seemingly geared towards denying the ADC the opportunity to field candidates for the 2027 general election.
The electoral umpire had, on April 1, derecognised the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator David Mark and delisted the officials of the opposition party from its portal, citing a Court of Appeal judgment directing parties in a leadership tussle within the party to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the suit.
The leader of the caucus, Afam Ogene, who spoke on behalf of the opposition lawmakers, also said the caucus will petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) over politically exposed judicial officials so that they can be investigated and possibly removed from the Bench.
Ogene noted that “the caucus is gravely concerned about the ostensibly undemocratic actions taken by INEC, under the leadership of Prof. Amupitan, which appear to deny the ADC the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming elections.
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“This is being achieved through the perpetuation of a leadership crisis within the party, whereby INEC has abdicated its responsibility as an impartial arbiter and instead intervened in the party’s internal affairs.
“Specifically, the commission seems to be recognising an illegitimate leadership faction, contrary to the authentic leadership of Senator David Mark, which had previously been acknowledged and certified by INEC itself, having met the requisite criteria, as evidenced by a recent affidavit issued by the Commission.
“We note that the Commission, in collusion with certain elements within the judiciary, is actively working to undermine the aspirations of the ADC, thereby preventing the party from fielding candidates in the forthcoming elections through duplicitous means that serve to obstruct inclusivity within the democratic process.”
He recalled that there have also been allegations that Amupitan previously made statements on his X handle expressing support for the All Progressives Congress (APC), which INEC has already denied.
According to him, “This has raised concerns regarding his transparency, integrity, and trustworthiness, particularly given the critical nature of the office he holds, which will have far-reaching implications for the nation.
“In light of these inconsistencies and concerns regarding impartiality and integrity, the House caucus, on Monday, 13 April 2026, hereby calls for the removal of Prof. Amupitan from office and advocates for his prosecution, in order to safeguard the nation against an avoidable descent into undemocratic practices.”
