What Will Happen to Atiku’s 2027 Presidential Bid If He Loses Court Battle? Amupitan Speaks

What Will Happen to Atiku’s 2027 Presidential Bid If He Loses Court Battle? Amupitan Speaks

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has declared that the commission will abide by the final court decision regarding former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday while speaking at Chatham House in London during a policy dialogue on Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The event, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative, was themed, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”

Responding to a question about whether Atiku would remain eligible to contest if he failed to overturn the Federal High Court judgment affecting the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the INEC chairman said the commission had no option but to comply with lawful court decisions.

“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,” Amupitan stated.

He acknowledged that implementing politically sensitive judicial decisions could expose INEC to public criticism, even when the commission was simply carrying out its legal responsibilities.

“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,” he added.

The development comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding Atiku’s presidential ambition under the ADC following a Federal High Court judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in Abuja on November 5.

The court nullified the leadership arrangement of the ADC faction led by former Senate President David Mark and set aside decisions taken by the disputed leadership structure, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

The judgment followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former ADC deputy national chairman, who challenged the party’s leadership arrangement.

However, the ADC has rejected the judgment and initiated legal proceedings to challenge it at the Court of Appeal. Atiku has also maintained that he remains in the 2027 presidential race.

Meanwhile, Amupitan disclosed that INEC was currently dealing with more than 300 court cases as preparations for the 2027 general elections gathered momentum.

He expressed concern that prolonged pre-election litigation could disrupt the commission’s preparations, particularly its procurement of sensitive election materials and other logistical arrangements.

The INEC chairman called for reforms to ensure that pre-election disputes were resolved at least six months to one year before general elections.

According to him, early resolution of such cases would give the electoral commission sufficient time to concentrate on election preparations rather than being caught up in prolonged legal battles.

He stressed that the commission had already commenced procurement processes for sensitive election materials, making timely resolution of outstanding disputes particularly important.

Amupitan’s remarks indicate that INEC will allow the judicial process to determine the fate of Atiku’s ADC presidential ticket, with the commission pledging to implement the final decision of the competent courts.

 

What Will Happen to Atiku’s 2027 Presidential Bid If He Loses Court Battle? Amupitan Speaks