INEC says Atiku, Amaechi still on portal as it awaits court ruling copy
- INEC says it has not removed Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi from its candidates' portal.
- The commission says it has not received a certified copy of Thursday's Federal High Court judgement.
- The ADC says it will appeal the ruling that nullified its David Mark-led leadership.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says reports that it has taken Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi off its candidates' portal are false, and that both names were still showing on Friday.
Atiku, a former vice president, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 elections, with Amaechi, a former transport minister, as his running mate.
Social media posts had claimed INEC acted on a Federal High Court judgement delivered on Thursday in Abuja by removing the pair from the portal.
Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC national commissioner and chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, told journalists on Friday that the commission had no reason to act yet.
"We haven't received the judgement yet,"
he said, adding that he did not know where the claim began.
Haruna explained that a certified true copy of a judgement usually takes about a week to obtain, and that the commission cannot implement a decision it has not officially received. He also said INEC had not met to discuss the ruling.
What the court decided
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC. The judge held that the process that produced the leadership did not meet the requirements for democratic elections under the Electoral Act.
The court then voided actions taken under that leadership, including the nomination of the party's candidates for the 2027 elections, which covers the Atiku-Amaechi ticket.
The case was filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC deputy national chairman for the North-East, who challenged how the Mark-led leadership came about.
The ADC has rejected the judgement, calling it legally indefensible, and says it will challenge it on appeal. The party also said it has asked for a stay of execution and urged INEC to hold back while the case continues. Atiku has also rejected the ruling and insists his presidential bid is still on course.
What happens next
INEC says it will wait for the certified copy of the judgement before deciding any next step. The appeal, and any stay of execution, will shape whether the ADC ticket stands while the legal fight continues.
For ordinary Nigerians, the dispute is about who appears on the ballot in 2027. The candidates' list is not final until INEC acts on the court's decision and the appeals run their course.
