INEC to Follow Court Orders on Atiku's 2027 Candidacy, Says Amupitan
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan says the electoral body will comply with whatever the courts decide about Atiku Abubakar's eligibility to run in 2027.
Prof. Joash Amupitan, heading the Independent National Electoral Commission, declared at Chatham House in London on Thursday that INEC must respect all court judgements concerning former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential candidacy. The commission, he explained, faces a constitutional duty to implement final rulings from the bench, particularly those handed down by the Supreme Court, irrespective of their outcome.
The statement responds to litigation engulfing the African Democratic Congress, Atiku's political home. In Abuja, a Federal High Court judge invalidated the caretaker leadership headed by David Mark and overturned its actions, notably the nomination process that elevated Atiku to party presidential candidate status.
This judgment has thrown into question whether Atiku retains the legal right to run for president on the ADC ticket in 2027 should the ruling remain unreversed. Amupitan stressed the importance of concluding pre-election disputes long before voting occurs, giving INEC adequate room to handle necessary preparations and procedural work.
More than 300 unresolved litigation matters hang over the commission as 2027 approaches, he noted, and these could generate substantial headaches for ballot administration and aspirant qualification decisions. During his visit to the British capital, a group of diaspora Nigerians intercepted his vehicle following the panel session and sought to engage him directly over worries about institutional impartiality.
These individuals contended that the electoral body, under Amupitan's stewardship, has abandoned neutrality in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress and demanded he step down from his role. He declined to respond to such demands at that location.
