INEC CHAIRMAN, PROF. JOASH AMUPITAN WARNS ADC AGAINST GOING AHEAD WITH PLANNED CONGRESSES, CONVENTION

April 3, 2026 • Dons Eze • 2 min read

19876797 20260402131015 jpeg801e4952ee41af68784003bbd165029e 1 1

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against moving forward with plans to hold its congresses and convention.

The INEC Chairman warned that the electoral commission would not monitor such congresses and conventions based on the prevailing court order.

Speaking on Friday during an interview with Arise News, Amupitan submitted that any action taken by the ADC before the court delivers a ruling on the leadership crisis affecting the party amounts to an illegality.

He warned that if the ADC conducts primary elections, and its candidates win elections, the court can declare such elections invalid, and the implication is that the person with the second-highest number of votes will be declared the winner, just as it previously happened in Zamfara and Plateau states.

Naija News reports that the INEC Chairman gave the warning against the backdrop of the insistence by the David Mark-led faction of the ADC to proceed with its planned congresses and convention ahead of the 2027 elections even if the electoral umpire does not monitor such activities.

However, Amupitan warned that such actions come with consequences and urged the ADC to maintain the status quo pending a court ruling.

He said, “If they decide to go ahead, let me tell you what happened in Zamfara: it happened in the past. At the end of the day, after you have won, the court will declare the election invalid and the implication is that the person with the second-highest number of votes will be declared the winner. It’s happened in Plateau state.

“Failure to obey the court order has consequences. They are at liberty to do whatever they want to do, but INEC doesn’t want to face a situation again where there is an order not to do anything or take any steps. I have the judgment here, and I can read it to you, is very definite.

“So if I proceed for instance to monitor their convention, it means I am taking steps that is going to affect the subject matter that is pending before the court.”

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.