LP chairmen reject calls for Amupitan’s resignation, warn against fresh congresses

The 36 elected state chairmen of the Labour Party on Tuesday rejected calls for the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, even as they cautioned the electoral umpire against recognising or conducting fresh congresses for the party.

Secretary of the Forum of Elected State Chairmen and National Executive Committee, Abdurrahim Chindo, announced the position at a press conference in Abuja, amid growing political tension over allegations surrounding the INEC chairman.

The African Democratic Congress had, over the weekend, called for Amupitan’s resignation, citing an alleged pro-President Bola Tinubu tweet from 2023.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party argued that attempts to erase the digital trail amounted to a dangerous cover-up capable of undermining the credibility and neutrality of Nigeria’s electoral system.

The controversy has drawn reactions across the political spectrum, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro defending Amupitan and warning that calls for his resignation could heighten political tension.

Aligning with that position, the LP state chairmen distanced themselves from the demand, insisting that due process must be followed in addressing concerns about public office holders.

“Nigeria is the only country we have, and INEC as an electoral umpire is independent. Therefore, if a group or some aggrieved persons are calling for the resignation of Amupitan or any similar government appointee, they should follow certain procedures instead of rushing to social media with such emotion or sentiments.

“We, as a political party, commend INEC, and we are optimistic that the commission will continue to remain independent as it is. But count us out of those calling for his resignation. We are not a part of it.

“However, that is not to say that if he does things contrary to undemocratic values, we will not hesitate to speak out and criticise them. But for now, we are comfortable with Amupitan’s performance and urge him to also create a level playing field for a free, fair, and credible election in 2023,” Chindo stated.

Beyond the resignation debate, the LP chairmen raised fresh concerns over what they described as moves by a rival faction led by Nenadi Usman to conduct new congresses at the ward, local government, and state levels.

They warned INEC against yielding to any pressure to monitor or legitimise such exercises, describing the move as a threat to due process and party stability.

“We are compelled to address this press conference in light of credible information suggesting that INEC may be under pressure, or is being influenced, to monitor or recognise a fresh round of so-called ‘state congresses’ by a faction of the party that has no legal or constitutional foundation.

“Let it be clear: This is not politics. This is an attempted institutional sabotage. We are not self-appointed actors. We are products of a completed statutory and democratic process duly conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act, monitored by INEC and recognised by law,” Chindo explained.

According to him, officials of the commission were equally present at the venues of all the congresses that brought in their members.

‘But we are now hearing that another faction has written to the same INEC that they want to conduct fresh congresses. This is unacceptable!
That is why we are gathered here to caution the commission not to be pressured into involving itself in anything that could jeopardise the integrity of the commission.

“I am saying this because we have it on record and we still have the Certified True Copy of the NEC meeting that adopted the congresses and they were properly monitored by INEC officials.

‘Consequently, no authority other than a court of competent jurisdiction can nullify Congress’s duly monitored by INEC. Until and unless such a court so determines, those Congresses—and all the structures emanating and deriving their legitimacy therefrom—remain valid, lawful, subsisting, and fully binding,” he warned.