ADC insists on Amupitan’s sacking

The African Democratic Congress has called for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, over an alleged pro-President Bola Tinubu tweet in 2023.

ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Saturday, alleged that attempts to erase the digital trail amounted to a dangerous cover-up that undermined the credibility and neutrality of Nigeria’s electoral system.

Over the past two days, the INEC chairman had faced intense criticism over alleged pro-Tinubu tweets from 2023 linked to his handle.

Recall that the ADC had earlier this month raised the alarm over what it described as a calculated plot to impose a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress of using INEC to weaken opposition parties.

On Friday, Amupitan denied owning the account or the posts, stating that he was not affiliated with any political party and had never worked for one.

Not persuaded by his response, the ADC maintained that the tweets were not only troubling but also represented a serious threat to the integrity of the electoral system.

Abdullahi stated, “In a democracy, the umpire must be above suspicion. He must not only be independent; he must 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.

“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.

“A man who manipulates records to save himself cannot be trusted to safeguard the mandate of millions. Over the past few days, it has been repeatedly revealed that Prof. Amupitan, by his conduct, his utterances, and now by incontrovertible digital evidence, has fallen far below the standard expected of an electoral umpire.

The referee cannot be running around in the shirt of one of the teams he is supposed to officiate in a match.

“This is why Professor Amupitan must resign now anything less is an insult to the Nigerian people and a dangerous precedent for our democracy.

“Relying on this evidence, ADC will be updating our petitions to all relevant institutions, including foreign governments and the Nigerian Bar Association,” he said