LIFU JUDGEMENT: Atiku, Amaechi remain on INEC portal as Commission debunks removal report
By KEMI KASUMU
“I don’t know where that statement came from. Somebody just forwarded it to me. We haven’t received the judgment yet,” he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports that it removed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, from its candidates’ portal following a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The commission clarified that the names of Atiku and Amaechi remained on its portal as the ADC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections, stressing that it had yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment or deliberate on its implications.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Muhammadu Kudu Haruna, reportedly gave the clarification during a telephone interview with journalists on Friday November 6, 2026.
He was responding to reports circulating on social media claiming that the electoral body had removed the names of the two politicians from its candidates’ portal following the court ruling.
Haruna dismissed the reports, insisting that INEC had not taken any decision to that effect.
“I don’t know where that statement came from. Somebody just forwarded it to me. We haven’t received the judgment yet,” he said.
He explained that obtaining a Certified True Copy of a court judgment could take several days, noting that the process usually takes about a week.
A check of INEC’s candidates’ portal on Friday also showed that Atiku and Amaechi were still listed as the ADC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The clarification followed Thursday’s judgment by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken under its authority, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The judgment arose from a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC representing the North-East, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
The court held that the process through which the leadership emerged did not comply with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act and consequently nullified its actions.
The ruling also raised questions over the validity of the party’s nominations for the 2027 general elections, including its presidential ticket.
However, the ADC has rejected the judgment and announced plans to challenge it at the appellate court.
The party also disclosed that it had filed an application for a stay of execution pending the determination of its appeal, urging INEC to exercise restraint while the legal process continues.
Atiku has equally rejected the ruling, maintaining that his presidential ambition remains on course despite the court decision.
INEC’s latest clarification indicates that the commission has not taken any administrative decision regarding the status of the ADC’s candidates following the judgment.
The electoral body maintained that it would consider the matter after officially receiving the court’s decision.
