INEC Misinterpreted Court Order Over ADC Crisis, Says Femi Falana

Popular lawyer and rights activist, Femi Falana, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of misinterpreting a court order in the ongoing leadership crisis within the opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Falana spoke during the 5th Comrade Yinka Odumakin Memorial Lecture held in Lagos. He severely, criticised the electoral umpire's reliance on the legal doctrine of “status quo ante bellum,” which simply means a return to the situation before the dispute began, questioning INEC’s interpretation of the court directive.

He further expressed concern over what he described as growing fears of a one-party state, blaming both the judiciary and senior lawyers for enabling such a perception.

According to Falana, “When we complain that APC is trying to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, the court and senior lawyers are to blame.”