The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, was forced to issue Wednesday night’s controversial statement delisting David Mark as the recognized Chairman of the African Democratic Congress [ADC].
INEC announced plans to remove the names of Senator David Mark and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, from its official portal as leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing a subsisting court dispute over the party’s leadership.
INEC further declared that it would suspend recognition of any faction or leadership of the ADC pending the final determination of the case before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to INEC, the move followed “preservatory orders” issued by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026 involving Senator David Mark and Nafiu Bala Gombe.
However, human rights activist and legal scholar, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, in a post on his X handle, disclosed that the Commission’s latest statement followed a series of high-level meetings involving senior INEC leaders, the Presidency, the Court of Appeal, and the Federal High Court within the last 60 hours.
According to Odinkalu, who cited “impeccable authority,” Chairman Amupitan’s appointment was contingent upon a pre-signed resignation letter held by powerful interests.
This letter was allegedly used as a “magic” threat to compel the Chairman to issue the Commission’s recent interpretation of a court ruling.
“I have it on the most impeccable authority that there is a pre-signed resignation letter by Chairman Amupitan. It was a pre-condition for his appointment,” Odinkalu, a former Chairman National Human Rights Commission stated. “The threat of releasing it did the magic.”
Odinkalu, himself a prominent voice in the legal community, questioned how Amupitan— a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) — could justify INEC’s decision to interpret a Court of Appeal judgment rather than seeking official clarification.
He argued that an electoral body acting in “good faith” would have returned to the appellate court to secure a formal interpretation if any ambiguity existed in the ruling.
“It should be evident to a professor of law and SAN that it is not the business of INEC to interpret the decision of the Court of Appeal,” he noted.
The allegations come at a sensitive time as the country prepares for the #NigeriaDecides2027 cycle. Odinkalu warned that the current trajectory suggests the subversion of democratic institutions by those in power.
“The country stares down a barrel,” Odinkalu warned, adding that the political climate has reached a point where only those willing to “enable” or “dare” the current system would fully understand the stakes involved in the upcoming general elections.
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