Professor Pat Utomi has called on the Nigerian Bar Association to compel Joash Amupitan, chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, to resign, warning that Nigeria risks deeper institutional decline if urgent steps are not taken.

Utomi, in a series of posts shared on X on Monday, said religious leaders, traditional rulers and senior lawyers must no longer remain silent over developments affecting the country’s democratic institutions.

He accused the electoral body of actions capable of weakening public trust, adding that the situation reflects dangerous authoritarian tendencies.

According to him, those who see wrongdoing and refuse to speak may eventually bear the burden of history.

He stated that if the NBA fails to act, Nigeria’s institutional and moral safeguards could slide further into crisis.

Utomi also criticised what he described as the influence of personal interest in the legal and judicial process, saying some senior legal figures were sacrificing the nation’s future through questionable interpretations of electoral laws.

His remarks followed the recent decision by INEC to withdraw recognition from the rival factions of the African Democratic Congress led by David Mark and Nafiu Bala after reviewing a Court of Appeal judgment on the party’s leadership dispute.

However, the faction aligned with Mark rejected the electoral commission’s interpretation of the judgment, insisting that the decision was influenced by external forces.

The controversy has continued to generate reactions across political and legal circles, with concerns growing over whether INEC correctly interpreted the appellate court ruling.

The development leaves the ADC without a leadership currently recognised by the electoral commission.