Rauf Aregbesola accuses INEC of partisan dereliction of duty following African Democratic Congress convention boycott

Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola accuses INEC of partisan neglect after the commission refused to monitor the ADC national convention despite legal notices.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 8:01 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Naija News

A Sharp Rebuke of Electoral Oversight

Rauf Aregbesola has launched a scathing critique against the Independent National Electoral Commission, characterizing its absence from the African Democratic Congress national convention as a dangerous dereliction of duty. Speaking at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, the former governor and current party secretary asserted that the commission’s refusal to attend suggests a partisan agenda. Aregbesola maintained that the party had met every legal threshold required for the gathering, leaving the electoral body with no valid justification for its boycott.

Disputing the Legal Basis for Exclusion

The core of the dispute lies in an April 1 decision by the commission to withdraw recognition from various factions within the party due to a persistent leadership crisis. The electoral body had previously cited a March 12 Court of Appeal judgment as its reason for disengagement, suggesting that the status quo must be maintained. However, Aregbesola countered this by stating that the commission is overstepping its bounds by assuming the role of a court, noting that no existing legal order has proscribed the party or forbidden the monitoring of its activities.

Compliance with the Electoral Act 2026

Central to the party’s defense is its documented compliance with the Electoral Act 2026. Aregbesola highlighted Section 82, Subsection 6, which stipulates that a convention is only rendered invalid if the commission is not properly notified. According to the party secretary, the commission acknowledged receiving formal correspondence regarding the event as early as March 17. By presenting these acknowledged documents to the media, the party leadership sought to prove that they had fulfilled all statutory obligations, thereby placing the burden of validity back on the commission.