2027: ADC Lawmakers Demand Amupitan’s Removal, Prosecution Over Alleged Bias

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Caucus in the House of Representatives, has called for the removal from office and prosecution of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.

The caucus raised concerns over the impartiality and neutrality of Amupitan to oversee a free, fair, and credible 2027 general elections, following alleged recent public statements and actions by him deemed to be compromising, partisan and conflicted.

The lawmakers reached these decisions after its inaugural meeting held on Sunday to review political developments in the nation.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting in Abuja on Monday, chairman of the ADC Caucus, Hon. Afam Ogene said their call is based on the inconsistencies and concerns regarding impartiality and integrity of the INEC boss.

Ogene said it has been alleged that Amupitan previously made a partisan statement on his personal X account, wherein he expressed support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while he had been accused of posting content alleging Christian genocide in Nigeria.

The lawmaker said although INEC denied that Amupitan is the owner of the X account in question, digital forensic analysis and other online investigations conducted by various sources suggested the account is his and the phone number used to create it is registered in his name.

He said this raised concerns regarding his transparency, integrity, and trustworthiness, particularly given the critical nature of the office he holds, which will have far-reaching implications for the nation.

“In light of these inconsistencies and concerns regarding impartiality and integrity, the House Caucus, on Monday, 13th April 2026, hereby calls for the removal of Prof. Amupitan from office and advocates for his prosecution, in order to safeguard the nation against an avoidable descent into undemocratic practices.

“The Caucus is gravely concerned about the ostensibly undemocratic actions taken by INEC, under the leadership of Amupitan, which appears to deny the ADC the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming elections. This is being achieved through the perpetuation of a leadership crisis within the party, whereby INEC has abdicated its responsibility as an impartial arbiter and instead intervened in the party’s internal affairs.

“Specifically, the commission seems to be recognizing an illegitimate leadership faction, contrary to the authentic leadership of Senator David Mark, which had previously been acknowledged and certified by INEC itself, having met the requisite criteria, as evidenced by a recent affidavit issued by the Commission,” he stated.

Ogene note that the commission in collusion with certain elements within the judiciary, is actively working to undermine the aspirations of ADC by preventing the party from fielding candidates in the forthcoming elections, through duplicitous means that serve to obstruct inclusivity within the democratic process.

“In fact, credible information at our disposal suggest that certain individuals within the judiciary and INEC are collaborating to influence the outcome of a case coming up on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 regarding the leadership question in the ADC, potentially impacting the recognition of a discredited faction.

“In fact, Section 83 (5) in the Electoral Act 2026 clearly prohibits any court of law in Nigeria from entertaining any case concerning party Congresses. The section says – “S. 83 (5) “… No Court in Nigeria shall entertain jurisdiction over any suit or matter pertaining to the internal affairs of a political party,” he said.

Ogene disclosed that caucus has concluded plans to submit a petition before the National Judicial Council (NJC) for politically exposed judicial officers, as recently outlined by “the NBA president, Afam Osigwe, SAN, be made to undergo investigations and possible removal from the Bench.”

“As the ADC Caucus in the House of Representatives, we are compelled to act in response to the existential threat to our democracy. With critical segments of society, including the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society, media, and citizens, losing faith in the judiciary and electoral authorities, it is imperative that all Nigerians of goodwill transcend partisan divisions and prioritize rescuing our faltering democracy.

“It is indeed disheartening to observe that even during the military era, when laws often contained ouster clauses, the judiciary still boasted esteemed jurists such as the late Chukwudifu Oputa, Niki Tobi, and Kayode Eso, Mohammed Uwais, et cetera, who delivered discerning judgments despite the authoritarian regime.

“We can, therefore, only surmise that these revered legal luminaries would be deeply disturbed in the great beyond by the current trend of questionable judgments, contradictory interim decisions, and overt judicial overreach, which appear to emanate from the very chambers of justice that was once adorned with distinction.

“We concur with the position of the NBA president, who only days ago expressed concerns over the growing perception of judges as beneficiaries of political patronage, stating that it erodes public trust in the justice system. The NBA president had lamented the practice of politicians gifting cars to judges, suggesting it compromises their neutrality and demeans the judiciary,” he added.