The expanding debate around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its leadership struggle was discussed by SAN and former Edo State Governor Oserheimen Osunbor in a recent interview that Arise News shared.
In response to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent announcement that “INEC said it will no longer receive correspondence from the ADC through its National Chairman and Secretary,” Professor Osunbor spoke out on the matter. In his opinion, this position gives rise to grave legal and constitutional questions regarding the electoral body’s function in internal party affairs.
He said that political parties are autonomous entities governed by their constitutions, and that their leadership structures should not be arbitrarily disregarded without explicit legal justification. According to Osunbor, the commission is obligated to operate within the bounds of the law after a party has met its legal requirements, such as informing INEC of its actions.
Additionally, the ex-governor said that disagreements over party leadership are frequently internal and should be settled via the courts or established processes, rather than administrative actions. He cautioned that steps that seem biased may erode public faith in the electoral system.
In advance of forthcoming elections, Osunbor emphasized the importance of neutrality and strict compliance with the law.
