Atiku’s 2027 Ambition: INEC Will Respect Supreme Court Decision on ADC Dispute – Amupitan

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it will abide by judicial decisions on the leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including any ruling that could affect former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the commission was legally required to comply with court orders, especially those issued by the Supreme Court, irrespective of the political consequences.

Amupitan made the position known on Thursday at a dialogue organised by Chatham House alongside the Kimpact Development Initiative in London.

The discussion was held under the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”

Asked whether Atiku would be able to contest under the ADC if the judgment nullifying the leadership of the faction led by former Senate President David Mark was sustained, Amupitan said INEC would follow whatever decision emerged from the legal proceedings.

“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 electoral commission’s chairman revealed that INEC had earlier pushed for a speedy resolution of the ADC leadership dispute when it surfaced in April.

He said the commission had proposed that the disagreement should be settled within three weeks to prevent the lingering case from disrupting preparations for the 2027 general elections.

“When it happened in April, the position of the commission was that the matter should be resolved within three weeks,” he said.

Amupitan added that INEC had respected a court order directing it to suspend action on the matter pending its determination, noting that the dispute later proceeded to the appellate stage.

He expressed concern about the volume of litigation confronting the electoral body, disclosing that more than 300 cases involving INEC remained pending in court despite the 2027 elections being 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 stated.

The INEC boss also confirmed that procurement of sensitive election materials had commenced, while calling for reforms that would ensure pre-election disputes were resolved at least six months to one year before elections.

He explained that early resolution of political and legal disputes would enable the commission to concentrate on its operational and logistical preparations without unnecessary uncertainty.

Although acknowledging that INEC sometimes attracts public criticism over its compliance with court judgments, Amupitan insisted that the commission must operate within the limits of the law.

The controversy is linked to the protracted leadership crisis in the ADC, which has cast uncertainty over the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

On November 5, 2026, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, nullified the leadership of the faction led by Mark, declaring the process that produced the former Senate President and other national officers unlawful.

The ruling followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership after the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu and other party officials.

The court also invalidated decisions made by the Mark-led leadership, including resolutions connected to the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting of July 27, 2025.

It further directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the meeting.

The judgment raised questions about the legitimacy of the process through which Atiku emerged as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

In another aspect of the dispute, the court rejected a disputed resignation letter allegedly written by Gombe, which the Mark-led leadership had relied upon to argue that he willingly stepped down from his party position.

Justice Lifu held that the document was not credible evidence of Gombe’s voluntary resignation.

Reacting to the judgment, the ADC rejected the decision and announced plans to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, maintained that Gombe had voluntarily resigned, claiming that the party had the original copy of the resignation letter bearing his signature.

The dispute has continued to generate uncertainty over the ADC’s leadership legitimacy and the validity of decisions taken by the Mark-led executive, especially those relating to the selection and nomination of candidates for the 2027 elections.