A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Attorney General of Cross River State, Attah Ochinke, has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over what he described as a misinterpretation of a court order in its decision to withdraw recognition from the David Mark-led leadership of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Join our WhatsApp community
Ochinke, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association in Cross River State, expressed dissatisfaction with INEC’s handling of the issue, insisting that the commission’s reading of the existing court directive was legally flawed.
Speaking in an interview, the APC stalwart explained that the court order clearly instructed all parties to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the substantive case.
He further noted that one faction within the ADC had approached the court seeking to restrain the executive committee led by Mark from operating.
However, according to him, instead of granting that request, the court directed all parties to revert to and maintain the current leadership structure until the matter is fully determined.
“In practical terms, maintaining the status quo meant retaining the David Mark-led leadership,” Ochinke argued.
He, however, faulted INEC for what he described as a misapplication of the order, saying the commission effectively created a vacuum by stripping the party of leadership.
“You cannot remove an existing leadership and claim to be preserving the status quo when, at no time, the party was without leadership,” he said.
Ochinke also took a swipe at the INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, noting that his legal background raised expectations of a more precise interpretation of the court ruling.
“I am surprised because the INEC chairman is a respected Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. One would expect him to properly interpret such a directive,” he said.
He warned that the commission’s decision could further erode public confidence, adding that it reinforces existing concerns about INEC’s credibility.
On the way forward, Ochinke advised the ADC to seek judicial clarification of the court order rather than pursue an appeal, which he said could be time-consuming.
While expressing his desire for the APC to win future elections, he stressed the need for credible electoral processes, dismissing claims that the ruling party was behind internal crises in opposition parties.
“There is no evidence to support such allegations. The actors involved in the crises within the PDP, ADC and Labour Party are all members of those parties,” he said.
