The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it has not yet obtained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court ruling that removed the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and voided the nominations emerging from its primaries.
Following the judgement, reports started circulating on social media that INEC had removed the name of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ADC Presidential Candidate, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, from its portal.
But Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), said the commission had yet to receive a copy of the judgment and had not discussed the matter.
A check on the commission’s portal by our reporter on Friday, however, showed that the names were still listed, contrary to the claims circulating online.
Haruna questioned the source of the information, insisting that the commission had not received the court judgment.
“I don’t know where that statement came from. Somebody just forwarded it to me. We haven’t received the judgment yet,” he told Daily Trust.
He explained that obtaining CTC of a court judgment takes time, adding that the commission could not be expected to act on a judgment it had not officially received.
“Usually, it takes about a week for you to get a CTC of the tribunal,” Haruna said.
He further indicated that the commission had not met to deliberate on the judgment, stressing that its position remained guided by the existing judicial process.
The clarification comes a day after Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership of the ADC led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated the party’s actions, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by a former ADC Deputy National Chairman, North-East, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
The court held that the process through which the leadership emerged did not satisfy the requirements for democratic elections under the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
It consequently nullified the actions taken by the disputed leadership, including the nomination of candidates presented by the party to INEC for the 2027 elections.
The ruling has generated political reactions, with the ADC rejecting the judgment and describing it as legally indefensible.
The party has also indicated its intention to challenge the decision in court.
Atiku has equally rejected the ruling, vowing to appeal and insisting that his presidential campaign would continue.
What You Should Know
A Federal High Court in Abuja recently nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark, which also affected the nomination of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections. Rumors quickly spread online suggesting INEC had already updated its portal to remove Atiku and his running mate, but the electoral commission has firmly denied taking any such action.
INEC explained that it cannot act on social media claims and must wait to officially review the Certified True Copy of the court ruling before making any decisions. Both the ADC and Atiku Abubakar have rejected the court judgment and vowed to challenge the ruling in higher courts, meaning the political legal battle is far from over.
- Positive Impact: Clear adherence to legal due process by the electoral umpire, ensuring that decisions regarding candidate statuses are based strictly on official documentation rather than unverified online reports.
- Potential Concerns: Prolonged legal battles and uncertainty surrounding party leadership could distract voters, disrupt campaign preparations, and create administrative challenges for the electoral commission as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
