INEC chairman Joash Amupitan says the commission will obey court rulings on Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has said the commission will comply with any court ruling on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.
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Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday during a dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative.
The discussion focused on Nigeria’s 2027 elections, democratic development and regional stability.
He was responding to a question about whether Atiku would remain eligible to contest under the ADC if the court judgment nullifying the leadership of the faction led by former Senate President David Mark was upheld.
The INEC chairman said the commission was legally bound to obey court orders, particularly decisions of the Supreme Court, regardless of the public reaction.
“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,” Amupitan said.
He acknowledged that implementing politically sensitive judgments could expose the commission to criticism, but insisted that INEC had no choice but to respect the judicial process.
Amupitan also expressed concern over the volume of litigation involving the electoral commission, disclosing that more than 300 cases were pending against it with the 2027 elections approaching.
“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.
According to him, INEC had advocated an accelerated hearing of the ADC leadership dispute when it emerged in April, proposing that the matter be resolved within three weeks to prevent complications for its election preparations.
He said the commission had complied with a court directive to suspend action and await the outcome of the legal dispute, which has since proceeded to appeal.
The INEC chairman disclosed that procurement of sensitive election materials had commenced, warning that prolonged pre-election litigation could disrupt the commission’s logistical arrangements.
He therefore called for reforms requiring pre-election disputes to be resolved between six months and one year before voting.
Amupitan argued that settling such cases early would allow INEC to concentrate on preparations rather than dealing with last-minute legal complications.
The comments come amid the leadership crisis in the ADC, following a November 5 judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Peter Lifu nullified the leadership structure headed by Mark, ruling that the process through which the former Senate President and other national officers emerged was unlawful.
The court also invalidated decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
It further restrained INEC from recognising or acting on decisions taken at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting of July 27, 2025.
The case was instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership after the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu and other party officials.
The ADC has rejected the judgment and filed an appeal, alongside an application seeking a stay of execution. The application for a stay had yet to be heard at the time of the reports.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, has maintained that Gombe voluntarily resigned, insisting that the party possesses the original resignation letter bearing his signature.
However, Justice Lifu ruled that the document did not provide reliable evidence of Gombe’s voluntary resignation.
The legal dispute has cast uncertainty over the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 elections and the status of candidates nominated under the Mark-led leadership.
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Amupitan’s remarks indicate that Atiku’s participation will depend on the outcome of the ongoing judicial process, rather than a unilateral decision by INEC.
