The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has blasted the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over his recent interview.
The national spokesman of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Friday said the substance of Amupitan’s statements reveals a fundamental misapplication of both constitutional principles and judicial directives.
Abdullahi said the INEC boss’ repeated statement that the commission is merely acting within the confines of a multi-party constitutional order is, with respect, a deflection from the central issue.
According to him, the question before Nigerians is not whether Nigeria remains a multi-party state in theory, but whether the actions of INEC in practice are undermining the ability of opposition parties to freely organise and function.
The party mouthpiece further explained that the ADC has not alleged the abolition of multi-party democracy in form, noting that it has raised concerns about actions that, in effect, weaken it.
The ADC’s spokesman added that Amupitan’s reliance on the existence of multiple parties as proof of neutrality does not address the specific conduct under scrutiny.
“While the Commission seeks to present its position as one anchored in law and neutrality, the substance of the Chairman’s own statements reveals a fundamental misapplication of both constitutional principles and judicial directives,” he said.
Speaking on the issue of the Court of Appeal’s order, Abdullahi said Amupitan placed heavy reliance on the doctrine of status quo ante bellum, suggesting that it requires a rollback to a particular point in time and a suspension of party activities.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary stressed that the interpretation is both selective and legally flawed, adding that 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.