INEC rejects ADC's call to remove Chairman Amupitan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed demands from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the resignation of its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stating such calls are a "direct assault on the independence of the nation's electoral umpire." ADC National Chairman David Mark had alleged partisan bias after INEC removed ADC leaders' names from its portal, citing obedience to a Court of Appeal judgment.
INEC clarified its actions are constitutionally mandated under Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution, which governs the appointment and removal of the Chairman. It emphasized that the Chairman "does not hold office at the pleasure of any political party or interest group." The Commission explained it complied with the court order to avoid precedents like Zamfara and Plateau states, where officials were removed for disobeying judgments. It also cited a Federal High Court preservative order restraining it from monitoring ADC activities.
The statement also addressed the planned nationwide Voter Revalidation exercise, calling it a "professional necessity" to sanitize the voter register (data from 2011–2024). INEC stressed the exercise is uniform, transparent, and not targeted at any region or party. It will be executed in phases across all Local Government Areas with digital options.
INEC highlighted its expansion of the democratic space, having recently registered three new parties (DLA, NDC, NDP), bringing total active parties to 22. It will focus on upcoming Ekiti (June 2026) and Osun (August 2026) off-cycle elections.
What does this mean for Nigeria's multi-party system? Is INEC correctly asserting constitutional independence, or does its action risk undermining party autonomy? How will the voter revalidation impact your community's participation?