Anambra Central Senator Victor Umeh has accused Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan of deliberately undermining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by acting on court orders he claims are legally invalid.
Speaking to journalists in Awka after a preparatory meeting for the party’s state congress, Umeh argued that Amupitan—described as a law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria—is fully aware that Nigerian courts lack jurisdiction over internal party leadership disputes. He cited multiple Supreme Court precedents, including a 1983 ruling and a recent April 2025 decision in the case of Senator Nenadi Usman v. Julius Abure and the Labour Party, both affirming that courts cannot adjudicate on political party internal affairs.
Umeh further referenced Section 83(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, which explicitly bars courts from hearing matters concerning internal disputes within political parties. He contended that both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal acted beyond their authority in issuing orders related to the leadership of the ADC, rendering those orders legally void.
According to Umeh, INEC’s reliance on such orders to halt the party’s activities amounts to deliberate obstruction. He accused the commission of acting “mischievously” and violating the rule of law, stressing that Nigeria is governed by legal principles that prohibit judicial interference in party leadership matters.
The senator warned that INEC’s actions threaten the integrity of the electoral process and called for adherence to established legal precedents. He urged the commission to cease actions that he described as politically motivated and legally baseless.
The controversy comes ahead of the ADC’s planned congress in Anambra State, which now faces uncertainty due to the ongoing dispute over the party’s leadership.
