The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to resign over allegations of political bias linked to his alleged old social media posts.
The opposition party also warned of possible nationwide protest actions if the controversy is not addressed, insisting that the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system is at stake.
The party’s reaction follows recent allegations circulating online that archived posts from an X account allegedly linked to Amupitan contained expressions perceived as sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development has sparked debate on social media, with Nigerians divided over the authenticity and context of the alleged posts.
In response to the controversy, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, raised concerns over impersonators and cybercriminals allegedly using fake identities to spread misinformation.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment under Amupitan’s leadership to conducting free, fair and credible elections, urging the public to rely only on verified communication channels of the commission.
The issue gained wider attention after a United States-based Nigerian academic, Farooq Kperogi, published a column in which he referenced archived posts allegedly linked to Amupitan.
The posts, according to him, suggested pro-APC sentiments, including expressions interpreted as supportive of President Tinubu.
Kperogi, who also shared excerpts of his column on his X handle, argued that the alleged posts raise serious concerns about the neutrality of the electoral umpire and called for Amupitan’s resignation.
His publication triggered mixed reactions online, with supporters and critics debating the credibility of the claims and their implications for the credibility of INEC.
Reacting on Saturday, ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the allegations as “disturbing,” saying they amount to a serious threat to public trust in the electoral body.
He said, “The recent revelation linking a pro-Bola Ahmed Tinubu tweet of 2023 to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Amupitan, is not merely disturbing, it is a grave affront to the integrity of our electoral system.
“In a democracy, the umpire must be above suspicion. He must not only be independent, he must be seen, beyond any reasonable doubt, to be independent. That is the minimum standa…”
Abdullahi stressed that the credibility of INEC is central to the survival of democracy, insisting that any perception of bias at the leadership level must be addressed decisively.
The ADC maintained its call for Amupitan’s resignation, warning that failure to restore public confidence in the electoral body could deepen political tension in the country.
