The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has strongly criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what it described as undue interference in the internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Dr Bishop Akhalamhen, Chairman of IPAC’s Edo State chapter, made the accusation on Saturday, April 4, 2026, while addressing journalists shortly after flagging off a campaign for voters’ registration and collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Benin City.
Akhalamhen specifically berated INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan for meddling in the ongoing ADC crisis.
“Well, as an umbrella body, as an umpire, INEC has no power to decide what happens in any political party. Political parties decide what happens in their home. Because if you look at it, if Congress is going on, the duties of INEC is to come and monitor, and see what is happening. They don’t intervene in what is happening in a political party. Hence, they don’t have the capacity, they don’t have the legal backing, to create crisis, or to get into the crisis of any political party,” he stated.
He emphasised that INEC’s role should be limited to observation and monitoring of party activities, not intervention in internal affairs.
Dr Akhalamhen advised the electoral body to remain strictly neutral to sustain Nigeria’s democracy.
“My advice is that INEC should remain neutral in order to sustain our democracy,” he added.
The IPAC chairman’s remarks come amid the leadership and internal crisis currently affecting the ADC, one of the parties being positioned by some opposition figures as a potential platform for a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development has further heightened concerns about the impartiality of INEC as the nation’s electoral umpire, with critics arguing that any perceived bias could undermine public confidence in the democratic process.
The campaign flag-off event focused on encouraging citizens to collect their PVCs from INEC offices in preparation for future electoral activities.
