2027: INEC sends strong message to Atiku over presidential candidacy

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan has declared that the commission will obey any binding court judgment affecting Atiku Abubakar’s participation in the 2027 presidential election amid the ongoing legal dispute over the ADC leadership.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has declared that the commission will obey any binding court judgment affecting former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s participation in the 2027 presidential election.

According to PM News, Amupitan maintained that INEC would act in accordance with the law amid uncertainty surrounding Atiku’s candidacy under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“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 reportedly stated.

The controversy followed a November 5 Federal High Court judgment invalidating the David Mark-led ADC leadership and decisions taken under its authority.

The ruling raised questions about the validity of Atiku’s presidential nomination.

However, the ADC rejected the judgment’s interpretation and approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn it.

INEC has maintained that it must examine certified court judgments before determining their implications for affected candidates and electoral processes.