The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of undermining the ability of opposition parties to freely organise and function. The party, which react- ed to an interview by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, on national television on Friday morning, said the commission has, through its action, weakened opposition parties.
“The Chairman’s reliance on the existence of multiple parties as proof of neutrality does not address the specific conduct under scrutiny,” ADC added. The party, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, accused Prof. Amupitan of using the doctrine of status quo ante bellum to suspend party activities, alleging “selective and legally flawed” interpretation.
“The preservation order, by its nature, is intended to prevent actions that would irreversibly alter the subject matter of litigation, not to paralyse the internal functioning of a political party,” ADC argued. The party contended that trying to define the “status quo” by tracing the controversy to internal party developments in July 2025 is an administrative interpretation that INEC is not empowered to make.
“That determination lies strictly within the jurisdiction of the courts, not the commission,” the statement added. It described as an overreach, Prof. Amupitan’s claim that if ADC goes ahead to hold its congresses or conventions would render proceedings nugatory.
They argued that “internal party processes, conducted in line with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, do not extinguish or prejudice pending judicial proceedings. “On the contrary, democratic continuity within a political party is presumed under the law unless expressly restrained by a competent court.
“No such explicit order prohibiting congresses or conventions has been cited. What exists are general preservation directives, which cannot be expanded into a blanket prohibition on party governance.” According to the ADC, INEC claims that it is re- strained from monitoring its congresses due to an injunction exposes a misunderstanding of its role.
