The caucus of the African Democratic Congress in the House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to remove and prosecute the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, over allegations of partisanship ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The demand was announced on Monday in Abuja by the caucus leader, Afam Ogene, following a meeting of the group. He said recent actions and alleged statements linked to the INEC chairman had raised serious doubts about his neutrality.
According to Ogene, the caucus is concerned that Amupitan may not be able to conduct a free, fair and credible election, citing claims that the INEC boss had previously expressed support for the ruling party and shared controversial content on social media.
Although INEC has denied that the chairman owns the X (formerly Twitter) account in question, the lawmakers insisted that findings from digital investigations suggest otherwise, raising concerns about transparency and integrity in the electoral body.
The lawmakers argued that, given the importance of INEC’s role in Nigeria’s democracy, any perception of bias could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. They therefore called for Amupitan’s immediate removal and prosecution to prevent what they described as a potential slide into undemocratic practices.
The caucus also linked its position to the ongoing leadership crisis within the ADC, which it blamed on INEC’s actions.
At the centre of the dispute is the commission’s decision to withdraw its earlier recognition of former Senate President, David Mark, as the party’s leader and instead acknowledge a rival faction led by Nafiu Bala.
Lawmakers said the move has triggered internal divisions, legal battles and uncertainty over the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 elections. They argued that INEC’s involvement in what they described as an internal party matter has worsened the situation and could prevent the party from fielding candidates.
The caucus further accused the electoral commission of siding with an “illegitimate faction,” despite previously recognising the leadership of David Mark based on documented evidence.
It also alleged possible collaboration between some officials within INEC and the judiciary to influence an ongoing court case concerning the party’s leadership, warning that
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