Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against proceeding with its planned congresses and national convention amid the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.

INEC had earlier removed the names of certain ADC leaders from its official portal following a Court of Appeal ruling and subsequently announced that it would not recognise any faction within the party pending the resolution of the dispute.

The electoral body also stated that it would not monitor the party’s congresses or convention if the internal crisis persists.

Reacting to the development, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, insisted that the party would proceed with its scheduled activities, maintaining that all due processes had been followed.

“We will go ahead with our congresses. We have given INEC 21 days’ notice. They have accepted the notice. Whether they come or not, we’ll continue with our congresses, and we will go on with our convention,” Abdullahi said.

However, speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Amupitan warned that proceeding with the congresses in defiance of court processes could attract serious legal consequences.

“INEC didn’t just wake up and take this decision. There was an order of court that informed our action,” he said.

He stressed that parties must avoid taking steps that could render ongoing court proceedings ineffective.

“Don’t do anything that will make the court process nugatory. If there is a relief being sought before the court, especially where a motion is pending, parties should exercise caution,” he added.

Amupitan further warned that failure to comply with court orders could invalidate election outcomes, even after candidates have been declared winners.

Citing precedents, he referenced cases in Zamfara State and Plateau State, where courts nullified election victories due to non-compliance with legal requirements.

“In such situations, the court may declare the candidate with the second-highest number of votes as the winner. We do not want to repeat such scenarios,” he said.

He emphasised that while the ADC is free to take its decisions, INEC is determined to avoid a repeat of past legal complications arising from electoral disputes.