…Says, it’s not INEC business to interpret Court of Appeal ruling
A professor of Law, Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has carpeted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its interpretation of the ruling of the Court of Appeal in the case (appeal) between Senator David Mark vs Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe & Ors.
In his X post- https://x.com/i/status/2039466036471452080 – Odinkalu pointed accusing finger at the INEC leadership, President Bola Tinubu, Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, alleging a meeting that culminated in the Commission’s statement containing its interpretation of the Court of Appeal ruling.
Odinkalu wrote: “This release by @inecnigeria followed a meeting involving senior leaders of the Commission, & @NGRPresident, @CourtOfAppealNG, @FederalHigh in the last 60 hours.
“I have it on the most impeccable authority that there is a pre-signed resignation letter by Chairman (Professor Joash) Amupitan (INEC chairman).
“It was a pre-condition for his appointment. Ultimately, that had to be called in aid by those who persuaded him to issue this release.
“The threat of releasing it did the magic. It shd [should] be evident to a professor of law & #SAN that [it] is not the business of @inecnigeria to interpret the decision of the Court of Appeal.
“If they had any doubt, an #INEC governed by good faith shd [should] have gone back to the Court of Appeal to secure an interpretation of the decision.
“But that is not where we are now. The country stares down a barrel & only those willing to enable that, make peace with it, or dare it will be able to sniff the stakes in #NigeriaDecides2027.
“As for Joash Amupitan….!”
INEC had on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, issued a statement announcing the removal of the names of David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and Secretary respectively of the ADC from its official portal.
The commission also had said it would also not recognise Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is seeking to be declared national chairman through the courts.
INEC therefore said that it would suspend recognition of all factions within the party and refrain from monitoring any conventions or congresses organised by groups aligned with the affected leaders.
The decision, it said, would remain in place pending the final determination of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
The development followed a leadership crisis within the ADC and a recent judgement of the Court of Appeal in Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026, which had further muddled up the dispute allegedly being orchestrated by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
