ADC accuses INEC of twisting court order to weaken opposition

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan of misinterpreting a Court of Appeal order to undermine opposition parties. In a statement this week, ADC National Spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi said Amupitan’s reliance on the "status quo ante bellum" doctrine is legally flawed and selectively applied. The core dispute centers on whether a preservation order halts all party activities or only actions that would irreversibly change the litigation subject matter. ADC argues the order is meant to prevent irreversible changes, not paralyse internal party functioning. The party stresses it isn’t claiming multi-party democracy is abolished in form, but that INEC’s actions in practice weaken opposition capabilities. Amupitan has maintained INEC acts within constitutional bounds and cites the existence of multiple parties as neutrality. However, ADC contends this deflection ignores specific conduct under scrutiny. The clash highlights growing tension between the electoral commission and opposition parties over internal democracy and legal compliance. With ADC’s national chairmanship also in dispute, this interpretation affects how parties organise congresses and conventions amid court cases. The stakes concern whether INEC’s approach favours a de facto one-party system or upholds genuine political competition.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/04/03/inec-misinterpreting-court-order-weakening-opposition-adc/