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By Lawrence Agbo
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Joemartins Uzodike, has called for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, declaring that he has already failed Nigerians even before the conduct of any election.
Uzodike made the demand while reacting to INEC’s withdrawal of recognition of the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC, describing the chairman’s pronouncements as “disgraceful” and “mischievous”.
The ADC chieftain, a lawyer, accused Amupitan of displaying bias in his interpretation of a court order, despite his status as a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He alleged that the commission relied on an order submitted by an individual, which he said reflected a deliberate misinterpretation of the legal principle of status quo ante bellum.
According to Uzodike, INEC’s actions have embarrassed the legal system and created a leadership vacuum within the opposition party. He also faulted what he described as the recognition of an individual as a faction, insisting that Nafiu Bala neither has a secretary nor leads any known executive structure.
“I have been around in this country since independence and have actively participated in many elections. I make bold to say that an electoral umpire has never descended so brazenly and carelessly into the arena as we are witnessing now.
“The chairman is a Professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. How can he not interpret the meaning of status quo ante bellum, which means to return to the position before the matter went to court?
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“At what point was the ADC before Nafiu Bala went to court, and who was the chairman at that time?
“The INEC chairman has failed the law; he has shown he is not capable of presiding over our electoral affairs without bias. He should therefore resign,” Uzodike said.
He further argued that the court order only required a return to the existing leadership prior to the dispute, questioning INEC’s position that effectively undermines the party’s structure.
“The court simply said whoever was in office should remain pending the determination of the matter, but Amupitan’s INEC is saying the ADC does not exist.
Uzodike also suggested that Amupitan may be acting under external pressure, citing his demeanour during a recent television interview, and urged him to step down in the interest of Nigeria’s democracy.
He added that, given his credentials as a professor and SAN, the INEC chairman should uphold the integrity of the electoral process rather than, in his view, serve vested interests.
“From his demeanour during the TV interview, it is clear that the INEC chairman is not acting independently. For someone who has risen to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a professor and SAN, he should be a man of honour,” he added.
