INEC Defends Chairman, Says Compliance with Court Order Not Partisanship

By Ezeribe Ogueri

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations of partisan bias and calls for the removal of its Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, insisting that its recent actions were guided strictly by court orders and constitutional provisions.

In a press release issued on April 2, 2026, the Commission stated that the appointment and removal of its Chairman are governed by Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), stressing that any demand for removal outside the constitutional process undermines the independence of the electoral body.

INEC explained that its decision to comply with the Court of Appeal judgment regarding the leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was to avoid legal consequences similar to past cases in Zamfara and Plateau states, where elected officials lost their positions due to disobedience of court orders. The Commission added that monitoring the disputed party activities would have violated a subsisting court directive.

The electoral body also rejected claims that it is promoting a one-party agenda, noting that it recently registered three new political parties, bringing the total number of active parties in the country to 22. It reaffirmed its neutrality and commitment to upholding the rule of law.

On the planned nationwide voter revalidation exercise, INEC clarified that the process is an administrative audit aimed at sanitising the voter register by addressing issues such as multiple registrations, transfers, and records of deceased persons. The Commission emphasized that the exercise is not targeted at any region or political group.

INEC further stated that its priority remains the successful conduct of the forthcoming Ekiti and Osun governorship elections scheduled for June and August 2026, respectively, reiterating its commitment to delivering free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections.