The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has said the commission will comply with any court judgment determining former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Amupitan stated this on Thursday while speaking at Chatham House in London, where he was asked whether Atiku could participate in the presidential election if he failed to overturn a court judgment concerning the leadership crisis within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The INEC chairman maintained that the commission was constitutionally bound to obey judicial decisions, particularly those delivered by the Supreme Court, irrespective of their political implications.
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 said.
His remarks come amid an ongoing legal dispute over the leadership of the ADC, a development that has raised questions about the party’s leadership recognition and the political implications for aspirants seeking to contest under its platform.
Amupitan also expressed concern over the growing number of lawsuits involving the electoral commission as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.
According to him, INEC has more than 300 pending cases, creating additional pressure on the commission as it prepares for the forthcoming elections.
He explained that the commission had previously advocated an accelerated hearing of the ADC leadership dispute to prevent prolonged litigation from disrupting electoral preparations.
When it happened in April, the position of the commission was that matter should be resolved within three weeks,” he said.
The INEC chairman noted that the commission had initially acted on a court directive to suspend further action and await the outcome of the legal proceedings, but the dispute subsequently proceeded to the appellate court.
To prevent recurring legal disputes from interfering with election preparations, Amupitan called for reforms to establish a deadline for resolving pre-election cases.
He proposed that such disputes should be concluded at least six months or one year before a general election to give INEC sufficient time to organise its activities.
I had advocated in several fora that we pre-election matters should abate at least a year before the election, or let’s say six months, so that we can fix our logistics,” he stated.
He further disclosed that INEC had already commenced procurement processes for sensitive election materials, warning that unresolved court cases could complicate the commission’s planning and operational arrangements.
Amupitan also observed that INEC often faces public criticism when implementing judicial decisions, even when the commission is simply carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.
The danger is that whenever there is such decision, and it’s you to now implement, you become the problem. The problem now is transferred unto you,” he said.
The controversy follows a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark.
The ruling has raised questions about the recognition of the party’s leadership structure and the validity of political decisions taken under the affected faction, including Atiku’s emergence as its presidential candidate.
The ADC has indicated that it will challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The outcome of the appeal and any subsequent judicial proceedings could have implications for the party’s leadership arrangements and its preparations for the 2027 general election.
For INEC, the priority, according to Amupitan’s remarks, is to comply with binding court decisions while ensuring that unresolved political disputes do not undermine preparations for the elections.
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