INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan says the electoral commission will follow court decisions on the eligibility of African Democratic Congress (ADC) leadership and presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, particularly if higher courts rule against his position. Multiple outlets report Amupitan links any removal of Atiku’s name from the 2027 ballot to whether legal challenges succeed, while also noting INEC cannot act on unofficial information.
The coverage is set against a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Peter Odo Lifu on 5 November that nullifies the emergence of David Mark as ADC national chairman and other party leadership actions taken from late July 2025. Some ADC-linked reporting and legal arguments say the ruling does not explicitly void Atiku’s candidacy, pointing to the absence of an order cancelling his nomination as the ADC presidential candidate.
Outlets also differ on emphasis: some stress INEC’s intent to obey courts, others focus on the ADC lawyer’s challenge to the interpretation of Lifu’s judgment, and others highlight INEC’s practical reason for keeping names on its portal, such as waiting for a Certified True Copy. Across reports, the central issue remains whether and how Atiku’s candidacy is affected pending appeals and potential Supreme Court outcomes.
