ADC Demands Amupitan Resign Over Partisan Postings

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is now threatening a campaign of civil disobedience to force the resignation of Professor Joash Amupitan, the INEC Chairman. This escalation follows allegations that the electoral umpire previously used social media to express vocal support for the ruling All Progressives Congress. A referee cannot wear the jersey of a competing team. The party insists that Amupitan has compromised the neutrality required to oversee Nigerian elections. It argues that his continued presence in the role constitutes a grave affront to the integrity of the democratic process.

The controversy stems from archived posts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, which suggest a bias toward President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Farooq Kperogi, a US-based scholar, brought these digital records to light in a recent column. The posts appear to date back to the 2023 election cycle, depicting a man far from impartial. Public confidence in the commission rests entirely on the perceived independence of its leadership. If the umpire is a partisan, the contest is a sham. These revelations have predictably ignited a firestorm of public criticism across the country.

Amupitan has not stayed silent, though his defence focuses on the technical rather than the ideological. His spokesperson, Adedayo Oketola, claims that cybercriminals and impersonators are using fake identities to spread misinformation. The commission maintains that the public should only trust verified communication channels. This suggests the alleged posts are either fabrications or the work of bad actors. However, the ADC remains unconvinced by these denials of digital footprints. It views the defence as a desperate attempt to erase evidence of previous partisanship.

The opposition party is now broadening its offensive beyond mere press statements. It plans to update its petitions to the Nigerian Bar Association and various foreign governments. International pressure often weighs heavily on the commission’s desire for global legitimacy. By involving external bodies, the ADC seeks to isolate the INEC Chairman. This strategy aims to make his position tenable only through a total loss of public trust. The threat of street protests adds a volatile physical dimension to this legal and digital dispute.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC spokesman, contends that Amupitan has fallen far below the expected standard of an electoral umpire. He argues that a man who manipulates records to save himself cannot safeguard the mandate of millions. The party believes the chairman’s conduct and utterances have already done irreparable damage to the commission. Trust is easy to break but nearly impossible to mend in Nigerian politics. The ADC views the current situation not as a trivial matter but as a calculated assault on accountability.

The commission continues to insist it will conduct free, fair, and credible elections despite the growing noise. It remains to be seen if these assurances can quiet a sceptical public. Evidence of past bias is a heavy burden for any official in a sensitive post to carry. For now, the electoral body faces a crisis of credibility that simple denials may not solve. The demand for a fresh start at the top of INEC is growing louder by the day.