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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it is yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and invalidated its primary elections.
The electoral body issued the clarification following viral social media reports alleging that the commission had immediately delisted former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, from its official portal.
Refuting the claims, Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), confirmed that the commission has neither received the official court document nor met to deliberate on the verdict.
“I don’t know where that statement came from. Somebody just forwarded it to me. We haven’t received the judgment yet,” Haruna stated, emphasizing that securing a CTC typically takes about a week before formal legal review can take place.
A verification of the commission’s portal confirmed that the names of Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi remain actively listed as candidates for the 2027 general elections, contradicting the viral reports.
The controversy stems from a judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which set aside the David Mark-led ADC national executive and nullified all official actions taken under its tenure, including candidate nominations.
The ruling delivered on the suit filed by former ADC Deputy National Chairman (North-East), Nafiu Bala Gombe, held that the executive committee’s emergence violated democratic provisions outlined in the Electoral Act.
In response to the ruling, the African Democratic Congress rejected the verdict as legally indefensible and confirmed plans to file an immediate appeal.
Similarly, Atiku Abubakar dismissed the judgment, reassuring supporters that his 2027 presidential campaign remains active while his legal team challenges the decision at the Court of Appeal.
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