The African Democratic Congress (ADD) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with legal misconduct and bias, alleging that the commission is taking sides in the party’s ongoing leadership conflict.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show this Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, raised the allegations against the commission.
Abdullahi noted that Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former party official, possesses no legal standing to act on behalf of the party, arguing that his tenure had ended following his resignation and the dissolution of the executive committee he served on.
He maintained that the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, as the next highest organ after the convention, had already taken decisions binding on the party’s leadership structure.
The spokesman of ADC questioned INEC’s actions, stating that the commission was recognising moves by Bala despite knowing he had resigned and that they continue taking sides in the internal crisis.
He further accused the electoral body of disregarding a subsisting directive of the Court of Appeal to maintain the status quo, describing the commission’s conduct as contemptuous of the court.
According to reports by journalists, the remarks follow INEC’s decision to remove the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary of the ADC from its official portal.
The commission also affirmed it would decline to recognise Bala, who is currently pursuing to be declared national chairman through the courts, and announced the suspension of recognition of all factions within the party pending the determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
Abdullahi said, “As of July 17, he was no more an official of the party, and INEC knew this.” So as I was saying, he has no locus.
“It is a settled matter in court that the issue of leadership is wholly an internal affair of the political parties, and the NEC is the next most senior organ of the party, next to the convention.
“The NEC said that the executive that he belonged to, even if he said he did not resign, has been duly dissolved.
“So on what basis is INEC recognising Bala’s action? Because INEC knew since August 12, when they received a notice of his resignation that he is no longer an official of the party.
“What INEC has done effectively is to violate the directive of the appeal court, and that is criminal.
“If you are talking about contempt, that is what INEC has done. INEC, today, is behaving like a criminal organisation. And Amupitan is a chief criminal because what the Court of Appeal said is maintained status quo.”
