Presidency Slams ADC Leaders: ‘Don’t Make Your Crisis Tinubu’s Problem

The Presidency has criticized leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for attributing the party’s internal crisis to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan. The admonishment specifically targeted ADC National Chairman David Mark, National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, and party spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi.

This follows a press conference held by the ADC in Abuja on Thursday, where Mark and other party officials demanded Amupitan’s resignation, claiming he could not be trusted to oversee elections in Nigeria. Mark further urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the INEC chairman from office.

However, the Presidency, through Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Temitope Ajayi, defended Amupitan, highlighting his academic and professional credentials. Ajayi emphasized that Amupitan, a law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is highly accomplished and not in need of guidance from former Governor Peter Obi or ADC officials.

Ajayi stated: “We all can at least agree that the INEC chairman is at the top of his career academically and professionally—a teacher of law, Professor of law, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Senator David Mark, Mr. Peter Obi, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi certainly cannot teach him what that Latin legal maxim ‘status quo ante bellum’ means. It is bad politics for ADC leaders to turn their internal crisis into a problem for Professor Amupitan, President Tinubu, and the APC.”

According to Ireporter Online, the Presidency’s response underscores the government’s stance that ADC’s internal matters should not be politicized or blamed on electoral authorities.