THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared its intention to proceed with its scheduled congresses and national convention, openly rejecting warnings issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan.
News Point Nigeria reports that the development marks a deepening standoff between the opposition party and the electoral body over the interpretation of a subsisting court order and the extent of INEC’s regulatory authority.
INEC Chairman Amupitan had, during an interview on Arise News, cautioned the party against proceeding with its planned activities, warning that doing so could violate existing court directives and potentially invalidate outcomes arising from such processes.
However, the ADC swiftly dismissed the warning, describing it as a misrepresentation of both legal principles and judicial pronouncements.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party insisted that it would go ahead with its convention in full compliance with the law, accusing INEC of overstepping its constitutional mandate.
“The ADC will proceed with its activities in full compliance with the law,” the statement read, stressing that no court order explicitly bars the party from holding congresses or conventions.
At the heart of the disagreement is the interpretation of the Court of Appeal’s directive to maintain the status quo ante bellum—a legal principle requiring parties to preserve the situation as it existed before the dispute.
While INEC maintains that this directive necessitates a halt to party activities that could affect the subject of litigation, the ADC argues that such an interpretation is flawed and legally unsustainable.
According to Abdullahi, preservation orders are designed to prevent irreversible actions affecting a case—not to paralyse the internal functioning of a political party.
“The attempt to stretch the meaning of ‘status quo’ into a blanket ban on party governance is both selective and legally incorrect,” he said.
The party further accused INEC of attempting to interfere in its internal affairs under the guise of regulatory oversight, warning that such actions could undermine Nigeria’s democratic framework.
It argued that the mere existence of multiple political parties does not guarantee a functional multi-party democracy if opposition parties are unable to organise freely.
“The issue is not whether Nigeria has multiple parties in theory, but whether those parties can operate without undue interference in practice,” the statement added.
ADC also rejected comparisons made by INEC to past electoral disputes in states like Zamfara, noting that those cases involved clear violations of electoral procedures, unlike its current situation.
The party criticised INEC’s warning that proceeding with its convention could lead to future judicial invalidation, describing such concerns as speculative and not grounded in law.
It maintained that administrative bodies do not have the authority to restrict constitutional rights based on hypothetical outcomes.
“The law does not permit regulatory agencies to curtail lawful political activities based on speculation,” the statement noted.
The dispute adds to growing tension between the ADC and INEC, particularly amid ongoing internal leadership battles within the party and preparations for upcoming electoral cycles.
ADC reaffirmed that democratic continuity within a political party remains protected under the law unless expressly prohibited by a competent court.
“No such explicit order exists,” the party insisted.
The party urged INEC to confine itself strictly to its constitutional responsibilities and avoid actions that could be perceived as interference in party affairs.
It warned that expanding regulatory authority beyond legal limits could set a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.