Aug 2, 2026

Adebayo Prays INEC Under Amupitan Won’t Be Treated As Enemy By Candidates Again

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in politics

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In a reflective and measured appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on August 2, 2026, Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo offered a candid assessment of Nigeria’s electoral umpire and expressed hope for a different relationship between candidates and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with characteristic frankness, Adebayo recalled his experience during the 2023 presidential race.

“In 2023, I contested against INEC,” he stated, capturing the widespread perception among opposition figures that the electoral body had become an adversary rather than a neutral referee.

He then turned his attention to the current leadership under Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, who was appointed INEC Chairman in October 2025 by President Bola Tinubu to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

“The difference I would want now, hopefully I pray for Amupitan and his fellow commissioners and other staff, that this time around no candidate should see INEC as an enemy,” Adebayo said.

The remark underscores a broader national conversation about rebuilding public and political confidence in the electoral process after years of disputes, legal challenges, and accusations of bias that have dogged successive election cycles.

Adebayo, a lawyer, media entrepreneur, and consistent critic of the current administration, has remained a vocal presence in Nigeria’s political space since finishing the 2023 race as the SDP flagbearer.

In May 2026, he was returned unopposed as the party’s presidential candidate for 2027, positioning himself once again as an alternative voice advocating systemic reform, economic justice, and institutional integrity.

His comments come at a sensitive moment for INEC. Professor Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former university administrator, inherited an institution still recovering from the controversies of previous elections.

Early in his tenure, the chairman faced questions over alleged social media activity linked to his name—claims that drew sharp reactions from opposition figures, including Adebayo himself in April 2026.

While Adebayo has previously questioned the process of Amupitan’s confirmation and the rushed nature of Senate screening, his latest remarks strike a more hopeful tone, focusing on institutional performance rather than personal antagonism.

The SDP candidate’s appeal reflects a deeper yearning among many Nigerians for an electoral commission that commands respect across party lines.

For decades, accusations of partisanship, logistical failures, and delayed results have eroded trust.

Adebayo’s prayer that candidates no longer view INEC as an enemy is, in essence, a call for the commission to earn neutrality through transparent processes, credible technology deployment, and impartial enforcement of the Electoral Act.

As the 2027 elections draw closer, the relationship between political actors and the electoral umpire will remain under intense scrutiny.

Adebayo’s intervention serves both as a caution and an olive branch—a reminder that credible elections depend not only on laws and technology but also on mutual confidence between those who seek power and those tasked with safeguarding the process.

Whether Professor Amupitan and his team can deliver the kind of impartial, efficient, and trusted elections that restore faith remains one of the defining challenges of Nigeria’s democratic journey in the years ahead.