Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the commission will comply with any court ruling on whether Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), can contest the 2027 election.
He spoke on Thursday while addressing an audience at Chatham House in London.
Last Thursday, Peter Lifu, a judge of the federal high court in Abuja, sacked the David Mark-led ADC caretaker committee and nullified its decisions, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
During the Chatham House session, a representative of Semafor Africa asked Amupitan whether Atiku would be allowed to contest the election if he failed to overturn the judgement.
Amupitan said INEC would comply with any court order, particularly a supreme court decision, regardless of its political implications.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Amupitan said INEC had more than 300 court cases, with about 66 days left before the 2027 election.
The INEC chairman said 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.
“I had advocated in several forums that election matters, pre-election matters rather, should be at least a year before the election. Or let’s say six months,” he said.
“So that we can face our logistics. Now we have gone into serious procurement of the most sensitive materials. So that’s a very big issue for us.”
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The suit was filed by Nafiu Bala, a former ADC deputy national chairman (north-east), who challenged the party’s leadership arrangement.
The ADC has filed a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution, but the application is yet to be heard or granted.
Atiku has insisted that he remains in the 2027 presidential race despite the judgement, saying the ruling would not deter him from pursuing his ambition.
The former vice-president said the final decision should rest with voters, arguing that the judgement did not reflect the wishes of Nigerians.
He also accused the ruling party of using political pressure, manufactured narratives and court manoeuvres to weaken the opposition and push Nigeria towards a one-party state.
