Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has demanded the immediate resignation of Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over alleged partisan commentary.
Recently, claims swirled online alleging that Amupitan operated a personal account on X and had used it to interact with a partisan post.
But Amupitan, through Adedayo Oketola, his chief press secretary (CPS), described the allegation as “entirely baseless, a total fabrication, and a figment of the imagination of its purveyors”.
Amupitan said he has not engaged in political commentary, urging the public to ignore the alleged misinformation campaign.
‘HE MUST RESIGN IMMEDIATELY’
In a statement issued on X on Saturday, Abdullahi said the INEC chairman’s credibility must be unquestionable.
He described the partisan post attributed to Amupitan as a “grave affront” to the integrity of the nation’s electoral system.
“In a democracy, the umpire must be above suspicion. He must not only be independent, but he must also be seen, beyond any reasonable doubt, to be independent. That is the minimum standard required of anyone entrusted with the sacred duty of conducting free and fair elections,” the statement reads.
“However, more troubling is the desperate attempt to tamper with digital records, to erase evidence of his previous partisanship. This is not a trivial matter. It is a calculated assault on truth and accountability.”
Abdullahi said comments linked to Amupitan indicate he has fallen short of the standard expected of an electoral umpire.
“The referee cannot be running around in the shirt of one of the teams he’s supposed to officiate in a match. This is why Professor Amupitan must resign. Now,” Abdullahi said.
“Anything less is an insult to the Nigerian people and a dangerous precedent for our democracy.”
Abdullahi said the ADC will petition all relevant institutions, including foreign governments and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), over the alleged partisan post.
“We will also renew and escalate our civil disobedience action until the INEC Chairman leaves office,” he added.
