Presidency Fires Back at ADC Leaders Over Attack on INEC Chair, Amupitan

By: Sunday Ameh

The Presidency has dismissed criticisms by leaders of the African Democratic Congress against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, insisting that his credentials and professional standing speak for themselves.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, made this known in a post on X on Thursday while reacting to recent comments by top figures of the opposition party.

Leaders of the ADC, including Interim National Chairman David Mark, National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, and the party’s spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi, had earlier called for Amupitan’s resignation, urging President Bola Tinubu to remove him from office over alleged incapacity to conduct credible elections.

Responding, Ajayi defended the INEC chairman, describing him as a seasoned academic and legal expert who has reached the pinnacle of his career.

“We all can at least agree that the INEC chairman is at the top of his career academically and professionally — a teacher of law, Professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” he wrote.

He argued that the ADC leaders were not in a position to lecture Amupitan on legal or electoral matters, stressing that the professor’s expertise and experience were beyond question.

Ajayi also referenced the Latin legal term status quo ante bellum, noting that the INEC chairman clearly understood its meaning, while suggesting that his critics might struggle to do the same.

The presidential aide further accused the ADC of politicising the issue, describing the party’s criticism as an attempt to shift attention from its internal challenges.

“It is bad politics for ADC people to make their own internal crisis of choice a problem of Professor Amupitan, that of President Tinubu and APC,” he stated.

The exchange highlights growing tensions between the ruling camp and opposition figures ahead of future electoral contests, with debates over the credibility and independence of the electoral body continuing to dominate political discourse.