Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, of allegedly undermining opposition political parties by fueling internal crises, citing the ongoing leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement issued on Monday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, on behalf of the Atiku Media Office, the former presidential candidate alleged that the electoral commission’s handling of the ADC leadership crisis demonstrates partisan conduct capable of destabilising the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku’s allegation followed claims by Nafiu Gombe, who lays claim to the national chairmanship of the ADC, that he had successfully uploaded the names of the party’s candidates to INEC’s nomination portal.
According to Atiku, access to the nomination portal is granted only through codes issued by INEC to recognised political parties as part of the candidate nomination process.
He questioned how Gombe could have accessed the portal despite INEC’s recognition of the Senator David Mark-led National Executive Committee as the legitimate leadership of the ADC.
The former Vice President argued that if the claim is true, it would amount to a violation of the commission’s own guidelines and an indication of political bias.
He further alleged that the commission had previously acted improperly by removing the names of the recognised ADC executives following a court ruling, describing the development as evidence of a deliberate attempt to weaken opposition parties.
Atiku maintained that only the David Mark-led leadership has the legal authority to conduct party primaries and submit candidates for the 2027 elections.
Citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act, he insisted that only candidates produced through recognised party primaries and submitted by the legitimate party leadership can be validly recognised by INEC.
He described any purported submission of candidates by the Nafiu Gombe-led faction as unconstitutional, unlawful and of no legal effect.
The former Vice President also urged the electoral commission to avoid actions capable of creating confusion within political parties, warning that such conduct could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
As of the time the statement was issued, INEC had not officially responded to the allegations.
However, the commission has consistently maintained that it operates strictly within the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and its established guidelines.
