The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed calls for the removal of its Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, describing such demands as unconstitutional and a threat to the independence of the electoral body.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the Commission was compelled to comply with a recent Court of Appeal judgment in line with constitutional provisions, insisting that its actions were guided strictly by the rule of law rather than partisan interests.
INEC stressed that the appointment, tenure and removal of its Chairman and National Commissioners are governed by Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), noting that no political party or pressure group has the power to determine who leads the Commission outside the constitutional process.
The Commission explained that its decision not to monitor the congress and convention of the David Mark-led ADC faction was based on the need to obey both the Court of Appeal judgment and a preservative order from the Federal High Court, which restrained it from taking any step that could render pending court processes nugatory.
According to INEC, monitoring the faction’s meetings while the matter remains before the court would have amounted to disobedience of valid court orders. The Commission added that the order to maintain the status quo ante bellum required full compliance with the legal position that existed before the dispute escalated.
It further argued that its decision was aimed at avoiding a repeat of past situations in Zamfara and Plateau states, where electoral outcomes were later upturned due to disobedience of court judgments.
INEC also rejected allegations that its actions support a one-party agenda, pointing to the recent registration and recognition of three new political parties — the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and National Democratic Party (NDP) — which bring the total number of active political parties in the country to 22.
The Commission said its updates to party leadership records are based solely on subsisting court orders and the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, adding that it would not be drawn into internal party disputes or be used as a tool for resolving organisational crises within political parties.
On the planned nationwide voter revalidation exercise, INEC clarified that the move is not a fresh voter registration but an administrative audit designed to improve the integrity of the National Register of Voters.
The Commission said the exercise, which predates the appointment of Professor Amupitan, is intended to clean up voter data collected between 2011 and 2024 by confirming the status of registered voters, resolving issues linked to transfers, multiple registrations and deceased persons, and enhancing the reliability of the register.
INEC maintained that the revalidation exercise would be conducted uniformly across all local government areas and polling units nationwide, with digital options to make participation easier, stressing that it is not targeted at any region, political party or demographic group.
The electoral body said it remains focused on preparations for the Ekiti governorship election scheduled for June 2026 and the Osun governorship election in August 2026, insisting it would not be distracted by what it described as unfounded allegations of bias or collusion.
Reaffirming its commitment to constitutionalism and electoral integrity, INEC said calls for the resignation of its Chairman are misplaced, adding that its loyalty remains to the Constitution and the will of the Nigerian people.
