•The protesters
Members and supporters of the Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday staged a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Port Harcourt, intensifying pressure on the electoral body over its handling of the party’s internal leadership dispute.
The protesters called for the immediate removal of the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, accusing him of bias and complicity in the crisis rocking the party, reports Daily Independent.
They alleged that the Commission’s actions have undermined internal democratic processes within the ADC.
Some demonstrators further claimed that Amupitan was acting in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC), referencing a controversial social media account recently linked to him as evidence of alleged partisanship.
Chanting slogans and displaying placards, the protesters carried messages such as, “Liberty is won in the street, not granted by the Villa,”
“One party, one grave, we refuse to bury our democracy,” and “Save Nigeria,” reflecting growing frustration within the party’s rank and file.
The demonstration in Port Harcourt is part of a broader nationwide protest campaign by the ADC, with members mobilising across various INEC offices to demand Amupitan’s resignation or outright removal.
The crisis escalated following INEC’s decision to suspend recognition of the faction led by former Senate President David Mark, a move that has deepened divisions within the party.
Tensions were further heightened by INEC’s absence at the ADC’s recent national convention held in the Federal Capital Territory, a development party loyalists interpret as a deliberate attempt to de-legitimise the process.
