CHAIRMAN of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has stressed that the electoral body will comply with any court ruling on whether the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, can contest next year’s general elections.
Recall that last week Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu of a Federal High Court in Abuja, sacked the David Mark-led ADC caretaker committee and nullified its decisions, including the process that produced Atiku, in the suit filed by a former ADC deputy national chairman (Northeast), Nafiu Bala, challenging the party’s leadership arrangement and legality.
The ADC has filed a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution, but the application was yet to be heard or granted.
However, responding to a question on Thursday, November 12, while addressing an audience at Chatham House in London, the United Kingdom (UK), Amupitan whether Atiku would be allowed to contest the election if he failed to overturn the judgment.
He stated that INEC would comply with any court order, particularly that of the Supreme Court, regardless of its political implications, adding: “If it travels through the courts and, as you said, 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.
“But the danger is that whenever there’s such a decision, and it’s you who now has to implement it, you become the problem.
“The problem now is transferred to you. But that is the position of the law.”
The INEC boss explained that the Commission had over 300 court cases, with about 66 days left before the 2027 election, noting that he had previously advocated that pre-election disputes be resolved at least six months to one year before an election to allow the commission to concentrate on preparations, to enable it face logistics issues, having gone into serious procurement of the most sensitive materials.
