Following fresh and incriminating links to his past social media activities, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded for the immediate resignation of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ADC particularly vowed to intensify acts of civil disobedience if the INEC chairman does not step down from his position.
This was as the ADC rekindled its criticism of Amupitan after allegations surfaced pointing to the fact that he once made posts perceived as supportive of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The issue surfaced shortly after a United States-based Nigerian academic, Professor Farooq Kperogi, shared details from an archived X account bearing Amupitan’s name.
The posts by Amupitan as unveiled by Prof. Kperogi showed opinions that appeared favourable to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
However, the media office of the INEC chairman, warned Nigerians about fake accounts and online fraudsters using false identities to spread misleading information, emphasising that the commission remains committed to conducting credible elections, thus urged the public to depend only on its official communication channels.
But, in spite of the clarification, the claims seem to be gaining and attracting more attention on the social media as many Nigerians are digging into the old posts with the aim of determining the content of the old posts.
Speaking on the development, the ADC described it as quite troubling, stressing that it raises serious questions about the neutrality expected of the head of the electoral body.
The party further said that it is expected and rightly so that anyone in charge of overseeing elections, must be seen as just, fair and free from political bias.
It also raised concerns over reports that attempts may have been made to alter and or remove past online records linked to Amupitan and warned that such actions could inflict serious damage on public trust in the electoral process.
The ADC therefore said it has resolved to submit petitions to relevant institutions within and outside Nigeria, including the Nigerian Bar Association and foreign bodies.
