Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, has strongly accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, of deliberately sabotaging the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by relying on invalid court orders in the ongoing party leadership crisis.
Umeh made the remarks on Thursday in Awka while speaking to journalists after a preparatory meeting for the ADC’s state congress.
He expressed surprise that a law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) like Amupitan would ignore established legal precedents that bar courts from interfering in internal party affairs.
“The controversy over the party leadership is very simple and straightforward,” Umeh said.
He emphasized that no court in Nigeria has jurisdiction over internal political party matters, citing multiple Supreme Court judgments dating back to 1983.
He referenced a 2025 Supreme Court ruling in the case involving Senator Nenadi Usman and Julius Abure of the Labour Party, which reaffirmed that courts cannot determine party leadership or adjudicate internal disputes.
Umeh also pointed to the newly amended Electoral Act 2026, specifically Section 83(5), which explicitly states that no court shall entertain suits concerning the internal affairs of a political party.
“Whether the Federal High Court of Justice Nwite made any order or the Court of Appeal issued any directive to maintain status quo, it cannot stand,” he declared.
Umeh argued that both courts lack jurisdiction because the core issue is the leadership tussle between the David Mark/Rauf Aregbesola faction and that of Nafiu Bala Gombe.
He described INEC’s decision to act on the Court of Appeal order as “mischievous” and “murder,” accusing the commission of feigning ignorance despite clear legal provisions
.“INEC is headed by a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He knows that the two courts have no jurisdiction to entertain the matter. So why is he acting on it? And in acting on it, he acted on it wrongly,” Umeh stated.
The senator’s comments come amid heightened tensions in the ADC, as the party prepares for congresses and a national convention ahead of future elections, with the leadership dispute threatening its stability.
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