Mohammed Haruna: INEC Must Adhere to Law Amidst ADC Leadership Dispute

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, has declared that the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is a legal issue, and INEC, as an institution established by the constitution, must operate within the confines of the law when addressing the dispute.

The internal conflict within the ADC began after the resignation of Ralph Nwosu, and an ensuing court case emerged when Nafiu Bala Gombe contested his own resignation, alleging his signature was forged.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Haruna explained that INEC's actions regarding the ADC leadership dispute are currently on hold as the matter is proceeding through the courts. "Essentially the problem is a legal thing. I mean, we’re a creature of the Constitution, and so we have to obey the law," Haruna remarked.

Haruna also addressed concerns about the potential for a one-party system, attributing such risks to the disarray within opposition parties rather than INEC's actions. He noted that internal party management and a weak emphasis on primary elections are significant contributing factors to the current political landscape.

"The dangers are there because if the opposition parties are in disarray, then there is a problem. But I don’t know if INEC should be blamed for that, because a lot of these are internal workings of the parties themselves," he commented.

He further elaborated on the challenges, stating, "One of the problems we have in this country is there’s so much focus on the secondary election, which is the main election, and not on the primary election. The primary elections—that’s the foundation of all the elections. So really, we should be focusing on how parties run their affairs, and you don’t see this in the media. Even the civil society organizations, they don’t focus so much on the internal workings of the political parties, and that’s why we have the problem. I think that’s one of the main reasons."

Regarding the ongoing legal battle over the ADC's leadership, Mohammed Haruna reiterated that INEC is compelled to wait for the judiciary's verdict before taking any definitive steps. "INEC doesn’t have the luxury of disobeying court orders. So long as the matter gets to the court, our hands are tied. We have to wait for the outcome of the judicial process. So this is where the problem lies," he stated.

Dismissing any accusations of compromise, Haruna asserted that such claims are unwarranted, reinforcing that INEC's mandate is to act strictly in accordance with the constitution and that it cannot interfere in the ADC's internal dispute while it is sub judice. "I don’t think that’s fair. As I said, once matters are with the judiciary, there’s not much we can do about it. We are a creature of the Constitution, so we have to be seen to obey the Constitution."

Haruna indicated his willingness to engage in a more comprehensive discussion on electoral matters in anticipation of the 2027 general elections, including the current ADC leadership controversy, at a later date.