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.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NOP NIGERIA to reach thousands of our daily users
