A chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Adewole Adebayo, has said that the actions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the leadership of Professor Joash Amupitan, raises serious concerns about neutrality and independence in Nigeria’s electoral management.
He particularly said the Amupitan acts like a drone from the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, stressing that the INEC chairman has only brought about “troubling inconsistencies” in the Commission’s handling of political party leadership records.
He particularly said that inconsistencies in how party leaderships are displayed on INEC’s portal reflect deeper systemic issues.
Adebayo, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the SDP, spoke against the backdrop of the delisting of the name of Professor Sadiq Abubakar Gombe from the commission’s website and its replacement with Shehu Musa Gabam as the National Chairman of the SDP.
He said; “There is no leadership crisis in the SDP. Gaban has not gone to court to file any suit, and we have not said we have any problem with him or anybody.”
The SDP chieftain noted the actions so far taken be Amupitan risk reinforcing public suspicion that the INEC is not independent as required.
In the words of Adebayo; “To allow himself to confirm what has been suspected of him, that he is not running INEC to achieve competitive elections, but that he is just a drone being flown from the villa”.
The businessman turned politician further said that the shifting entries on INEC’s portal clearly undermine public confidence, stressing that leadership legitimacy cannot be determined by website updates.
Adebayo said that the authority to determine leadership does not lie with a website, but with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and binding judicial pronouncements of the Supreme Court.
Adebayo said; “If you go and check the website, sometimes you will see Gombe, sometimes you will see Gabam. The INEC portal is not a source for determining party leadership”.
The SDP chieftain noted past legal disputes involving INEC, stressing that a matter previously taken to the Supreme Court resulted in the Commission being fined ₦2 million.
In the words of Adebayo; “Such precedents highlight the importance of strict adherence to constitutional provisions rather than administrative discretion”.
Adebayo also noted similar inconsistencies in other political parties’ listings which clearly indicated broader ICT and administrative lapses within the Commission.
He however, said that despite the attempt by INEC to deliberately create crisis in the party, the SDP remains focused on its political agenda ahead of 2027.
According to him; “We are not going to be distracted. Our party’s priority is to restructure Nigeria’s leadership and offer voters credible alternatives. The SDP’s broader objective remains unchanged, even amid internal and external political controversies”.
