The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will review next week a Federal High Court judgment affecting the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the 2027 presidential candidacy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission would not take an official position until it obtained and examined the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment.
Haruna stressed that the electoral body would not base its administrative decisions on media reports of court proceedings, noting that such accounts could be inaccurate.
“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.
He explained that the commission would thoroughly consider the matter at its scheduled weekly meeting before determining its next course of action.
Haruna also said INEC would comply with any subsequent judicial orders, including a possible stay of execution if the David Mark-led faction appealed the ruling and obtained such an order.
“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 controversy followed a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, which nullified the caretaker leadership committee led by former Senate President David Mark.
The court reportedly ruled that the formation of the committee violated the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
The judgment also invalidated key actions taken by the faction, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.
Other decisions affected by the ruling include the emergence of former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s National Secretary and candidate nominations submitted by the Mark-led leadership.
The suit was filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), who challenged the legality of the party’s leadership transition following the resignation of former National Chairman Ralph Nwosu.
INEC’s position is expected to depend on its review of the certified judgment and any further orders issued by the courts.
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