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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will meet next week to consider the Federal High Court judgment affecting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The commission said it would not take a position on the ADC leadership dispute until it had obtained and examined the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Sunday, saying the commission would not rely on media reports to determine what the court decided.
“We can’t take a position until we see the judgment ourselves. We have to get the Certified True Copy because we don’t take decisions or reports of what the court said based on reports because the reports could be wrong,” he said.
Haruna added that the commission would discuss the matter at its meeting next week.
“Well, this one is very straightforward. Even then, we are all here till next week when the commission meets. We will have to meet over it,” he said.
He also said INEC would comply with any further court order if the David Mark-led faction appealed the judgment and secured an order staying its execution.
“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,” he added.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had, last Thursday, nullified the caretaker committee led by former Senate President David Mark, ruling that its emergence violated the ADC constitution, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, also invalidated decisions taken by the committee, including the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its flag bearer for the 2027 elections.
The court further nullified the emergence of former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary, the appointments of other national officers and the nomination of candidates presented by the party for the general elections.
It also 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 suit was 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 take over its leadership.
