INEC to obey court on Atiku’s ADC candidacy – Amupitan

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will abide by the final court decision on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the commission was constitutionally obligated to comply with court orders, particularly decisions of the Supreme Court, irrespective of their political implications.

Amupitan spoke on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative, with the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.” Responding to a question on whether Atiku could contest on the ADC platform if the judgment nullifying the leadership of the faction led by former Senate President, David Mark, was upheld, Amupitan said INEC would be guided by the outcome of the legal process.

“If he eventually fails, well, I’m obligated under Section 285 of the Constitution of Nigeria to obey every court order, especially if it is from the Supreme Court,” he said. The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had advocated an accelerated hearing of the ADC leadership dispute when it emerged in April, insisting that the matter should be resolved within three weeks to avoid complications for the 2027 electoral process.

“When it happened in April, the position of the commission was that the matter should be resolved within three weeks,” he said. He explained that INEC had complied with a court directive to suspend action and await the determination of the dispute, which subsequently proceeded on appeal. Amupitan also expressed concern over the growing number of election-related cases involving the commission, disclosing that INEC had more than 300 pending court cases with the 2027 elections about 66 days away.

“Some of those issues we have with court cases, over 300 cases hanging on the neck of INEC, and elections is just about 66 days away,” he said. He disclosed that INEC had commenced procurement of sensitive materials for the 2027 elections, stressing the need for reforms to ensure that pre-election disputes were resolved between six months and one year before polling.

According to him, early resolution of such disputes would allow the commission sufficient time to complete its logistical and operational preparations for elections. The INEC chairman further acknowledged that the commission often faced public criticism when implementing judicial decisions but maintained that it was bound by the law. The development comes amid the protracted leadership crisis in the ADC, which has thrown the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections into uncertainty.

On November 5, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, nullified the leadership of the ADC faction led by Mark, declaring the process that produced the former Senate President and other national officers unlawful. The judgment followed a suit filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership following the resignation of former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, and other party officials.

Justice Lifu also invalidated decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including those relating to the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025, and restrained INEC from recognising or acting on decisions taken at the meeting. The ruling consequently cast doubts on the validity of the process through which Atiku emerged as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The legal dispute further deepened after the court rejected a disputed resignation letter allegedly written by Gombe, which the Mark-led leadership had relied upon to establish that he voluntarily relinquished his position in the party. However, the court ruled that the document did not constitute reliable evidence of Gombe’s voluntary resignation.

The ADC has rejected the judgment and vowed to challenge it at the Court of Appeal. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, maintained that Gombe voluntarily resigned, insisting that the party was in possession of the original copy of the resignation letter bearing his signature. The legal battle has raised questions about the validity of the party’s leadership structure and decisions taken by the Mark-led executive, particularly those relating to the nomination of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.