INEC to review court ruling on Atiku’s 2027 ticket
The Independent National Electoral Commission will meet next week to consider the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the David Mark-led caretaker committee of the African Democratic Congress and its decision to field former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
INEC said it would not take a position on the ADC leadership crisis until it obtained and examined the certified true copy of the judgment.
*Atiku Abubakar
Abimbola Joseph
The Independent National Electoral Commission will meet next week to consider the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the David Mark-led caretaker committee of the African Democratic Congress and its decision to field former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.
INEC said it would not take a position on the ADC leadership crisis until it obtained and examined the certified true copy of the judgment.
The commission’s position followed Thursday’s ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which invalidated the Mark-led caretaker committee and decisions taken under its leadership, including the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate.
Speaking, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission would rely on the court’s official judgment rather than media reports before deciding its next move.
“We can’t take a position until we see the judgment ourselves. We have to get the certified true copy because we don’t base decisions on reports of what the court said. After all, the reports could be wrong,” he said.
Haruna said the commission would deliberate on the matter at its meeting next week.
“We are all here until next week when the commission meets. We will have to meet over it,” he added.
He also said INEC would comply with any further court order arising from an appeal by the Mark-led faction.
“Obviously, if the David Mark faction should appeal, which I am sure they will, and they get an injunction for stay of execution, obviously, we’ll have to obey that judgment,” Haruna said.
In the judgment, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, nullified the leadership of the Mark-led caretaker committee, holding that its emergence violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The ruling followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to assume leadership.
He asked the court to invalidate the actions of the Mark-led faction and restrain Mark and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Upholding the suit, Justice Lifu invalidated the process through which the caretaker committee emerged and the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the ADC’s flag bearer for the 2027 elections.
The court also nullified Aregbesola’s emergence as National Secretary, the appointments of other national officers, and the party’s nominations for the 2027 general elections.
It further directed INEC not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
The ADC, INEC, Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu were listed as defendants in the suit.
