Amupitan appointed to destroy opposition parties, Atiku slams INEC boss

Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has leveled serious accusations against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan. Abubakar alleges that Amupitan was appointed with the specific objective of undermining opposition political parties by fostering internal crises within their ranks.

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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).

Abubakar pointed to the INEC's recent handling of a leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a prime example of this alleged partisanship. He warned that such actions, if confirmed, could ignite fresh crises within the ADC ahead of the crucial 2027 general elections. The former Vice President's statement was issued through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe.

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The uploading of the names of candidates on INEC portal is part of the process of the 2027 General Elections made possible by the granting of access codes to political parties in line with the umpire’s guidelines.

The controversy stems from claims by Nafiu Gombe, who purports to be the National Chairman of the ADC. Gombe stated he had successfully uploaded the names of the party's candidates to INEC's portal, a process facilitated by access codes issued by the commission. Abubakar, however, strongly faulted INEC for allegedly providing an access code to Gombe, asserting that Senator David Mark leads the duly recognized national executive of the party.

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Meanwhile, INEC has been mum, and has not denied or confirmed this obvious contradiction to the law and its own guidelines.

Abubakar emphasized that INEC's action contradicts the law and its own established guidelines. He highlighted that INEC has remained silent, neither denying nor confirming the alleged discrepancy. The former Vice President concluded that by granting an access code to Gombe, whom he described as a "pretender," INEC is demonstrating its partisanship, echoing past actions under Amupitan's leadership that allegedly involved illegally removing the names of the recognized ADC executive.

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By granting access code to Bala Gombe, a pretender, laying claims to the chairmanship of the ADC, though the law is not on his side and INEC has since validated the chairmanship of the Sen. David Mark-led exco, the electoral umpire is once again manifesting its partisanship.