Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, was appointed to weaken opposition parties by fomenting crises within their ranks, citing the commission’s handling of the leadership dispute in the African Democratic Congress as evidence.
Atiku made the allegation in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, on Monday and signed by the Atiku Media Office.
He alleged that INEC’s action, if confirmed, amounted to partisanship and could trigger a fresh crisis within the ADC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The statement followed claims by Nafiu Gombe, who claims to be the National Chairman of the ADC, that he had successfully uploaded the names of the party’s candidates to INEC’s portal.
According to Atiku, the uploading of candidates’ names is part of the process for the 2027 general elections, made possible through access codes issued by INEC to political parties in line with the commission’s guidelines.
He, however, faulted the commission for allegedly granting an access code to Gombe despite his insistence that Senator David Mark leads the duly recognised national executive of the party.
The statement partly read, “On 11 July 2026, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who parades himself as National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), issued a statement that he has succeeded in uploading the names of his candidates on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
