Utomi urges NBA to press for Amupitan’s resignation, warns Nigeria faces free fall

Pat Utomi, a professor of Political Economy and public affairs commentator, has called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prevail on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, to resign, warning that the country risks an “institutional and moral free fall” if urgent action is not taken.

Utomi made the remarks in a series of posts on X on Monday, where he urged religious leaders, traditional rulers, and senior lawyers to speak out on issues affecting Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

The former presidential candidate criticised the leadership of INEC under Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), drawing parallels with the authoritarian style of late Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

According to him, silence by influential figures in society in the face of perceived injustice could worsen the country’s democratic challenges.

“Those who see truth and cloak themselves in the garb of silence, including religious leaders, senior lawyers and traditional rulers, will someday dance naked in the marketplace. Speak now and redeem yourselves or forever live with the shame,” Utomi wrote.

He added that if the NBA fails to persuade Amupitan to step down, Nigeria could slide further into institutional collapse.

“If the NBA cannot prevail on Amupitan to resign, the fall of Nigeria through institutional and moral safety nets has become a free fall,” he said.

Utomi also warned that history would judge lawyers and judicial officers whose actions undermine electoral laws and the rule of law.

“History will hold all lawyers and Amupitan accountable in a way that will embarrass the children of their children,” he added.

The professor also invoked religious imagery, referencing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and called for what he described as the removal of the “stone of love of money” that drives some legal practitioners and judges to compromise the future of the country through unjust decisions.

Utomi’s comments appear to be linked to the recent decision by INEC to derecognise factions of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark and Nafiu Bala.

The electoral commission said its action followed a review of a Court of Appeal judgement on the party’s leadership dispute.

However, the Mark-led faction rejected INEC’s interpretation of the ruling, accusing the commission of acting under external pressure.

INEC’s decision has sparked debate among political observers and legal analysts over whether the commission correctly interpreted the appellate court’s order.

The development has effectively left the ADC without any leadership currently recognised by the electoral body.