Ayomide Awe
The Independent National Electoral Commission has explained why the names of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Chibuike Amaechi, remain on its portal as the African Democratic Congress presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections, despite a court ruling invalidating the process that produced them.
The commission said it had yet to receive the Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja, stressing that it could not take official action based on reports circulating on social media.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
His explanation followed a ruling by Justice Peter Odo Lifu, who nullified the emergence of the David Mark-led faction of the ADC leadership and the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate for the 2027 election.
The court reportedly declared the process through which Mark emerged as the party’s National Chairman unlawful.
It also invalidated the emergence of former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s National Secretary, as well as the primary election that produced Atiku as the ADC presidential candidate.
The judgment further affected other ADC candidates seeking elective positions in the 2027 general elections.
Justice Lifu also directed INEC not to recognise decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 27, 2025.
However, explaining why the names of Atiku and Amaechi had not been removed from the commission’s portal, Amupitan said INEC was yet to obtain the official court document required to determine its next line of action.
He said, “We have not received the Certified True Copy of the ruling.”
The INEC chairman added that the commission would not act on unverified information or reports obtained from social media platforms.
“We do not carry out action based on what we see on social media,” he stated.
The development leaves the status of the ADC’s presidential ticket and other candidates affected by the judgment subject to further official action by INEC after obtaining and examining the certified court ruling..
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